Tangled Threads
by Kerichi
Summary: The threads connecting Sam, Jack and Pete unravel. A new woman's interest in O'Neill becomes the catalyst for Carter to reevaluate her life and finally reach out to the man she truly loves.
1. Tangled Threads

Disclaimer: This fic was written before the Threads episode. After watching the show, I corrected Kerry's job- spoilers had her be an Oversight Committee Chairperson- but the rest of my story stayed the same. Frankly, I thought Jack and Kerry's romance unconvincing, Pete's meek 'Do you want me to beg' acceptance of Carter's breaking of their engagement out of character, and the writers' use of Kerry to tell Jack to retire and go for Sam an insult to shippers. He should've thought of it himself! I like my version better. Maybe it's all the kissing parts. :D Thanks to Super Sam/Jack shipper GateSeeker2 for telling me about _Threads _when the spoiler came out months ago and for being a fount of Stargate trivia!

* * *

Tangled Threads 

Walking briskly out of Stargate Command, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter made a mental note to inquire about the chemical/biological/radiological filters that screened the air drawn from the surface and then utilized by the underground base. During that awful moment, when her conversation with Jack..._Brigadier General Jack O'Neill..._had been interrupted by that Kerry Johnson C.I.A _person_, Sam had actually felt faint. The air had seemed to become thin, as if there were not enough to enable breath- much less coherent thought. The very room had appeared to tilt as her head swam dizzily. Perhaps the filters needed updating. Nodding her blonde head decisively, Colonel Carter resolved to bring the matter to the Maintenance Officer's attention on Monday if air quality had not improved substantially over the weekend.

Once outside, Carter slid on her aviator styled sunglasses and headed for her vehicle. The setting sun was streaking the Cheyenne Mountain Complex with gorgeous color, but the beauty was lost on the introspective woman opening the door to her Volvo and preparing to exit the base. Leaving the tunnel and the base behind, blue-gray eyes scanned the road in an automatic defensive driving mode while inside her mind; Sam's thoughts were a whirl of conflicting thoughts and feelings.

Why couldn't she and Jack have one single solitary conversation without getting interrupted? Would it have been too much to ask for the _General _to invite that _person_ back at another time when his office was not occupied with someone who was trying to share their _feelings_! Pale, slender fingers gripped the wheel tightly in displacement.

Looking at the radio, Sam didn't bother to turn it on to see if it was once again channeling messages from above. She already heard Connie Francis croon in her mind, _Who's Sorry, Now?_

Turning down her street, she slowed her speed to enjoy the scenery. Lowering her car windows, Carter breathed in deeply. Her whole neighborhood smelled green, earthy, welcoming- her mood improved dramatically. Arriving home, she was surprised to see her fiancé Peter Shanahan's car in the drive and Pete himself sitting on the front step watching her get out of her vehicle. Smiling his mischievous wide smile, he teased,

"There's just something about a woman in uniform."

Even as she smiled at Pete and returned his hug, Sam thought snidely,

_There's something about a **man** in uniform, too...especially for a little miss what-big-eyes-you-have-the-better-to-stare-at-gorgeous-Generals C.I.A bimbo._

Leading Pete into the kitchen, Carter made a bee line for the refrigerator and the diet coke calling her name inside. Watching her chug it down, Detective Shanahan commented humorously,

"You act like one of the guy's downing a beer at the end of a tough day. You're not going to crush the empty can against your head are you?" Seeing her grab the ever present bottle of acetaminophen out of a cabinet and pop the top before swallowing a few, he frowned, "Do you have a headache? Come on, lie down and let Dr. Feelgood make it all better."

The concern in his voice touched a vulnerable place inside- one that longed for someone else to help share the load, share her life. Carter let herself be led into the bedroom. Sprawled facedown, she muttered, "Don't you mean Dr. Strangelove?"

"Yeah, Yeah, yuck it up brainy babe...wait and see...you'll soon change that tune..." Pete's strong, agile fingers massaged Sam's aching head and traveled down her back. Time slowed as muscles relaxed and troubles drifted away...

Rolling over, the groggily blinking woman focused on the broad frame lying next to her on the bed. Gently pushing sandy brown strands off Pete's forehead, she whispered into his now open dark eyes, "Does Dr. Feelgood make house calls to _all_ his patients?"

"This Dr. is strictly _private_ practice, ma'am. Only one patient gets _my_ specialized treatment."

Warmed by his soft smile, Sam lightly kissed her fiancé and then scooted off the bed and into the bathroom. Raising her voice to be heard through the door, she asked,

"Not that I'm complaining, but I thought we were going dancing _tomorrow _night?" 

Opening the door and hanging up a hand towel, blond brows rose in an inquiry that had Pete raising his hands and saying sheepishly,

"I know, I know...but something's come up. One of the guys at work, Mike, is having a barbeque tomorrow afternoon and invited us to come...you know, a meet the new guy type thing."

"Meet the new guy's fiancé too, is that it?" Her voice was dry, but her lips quirked in reluctant humor. Pete Shanahan could sell ice to Eskimos with that boyish smile.

"Yeah...but that doesn't mean no dancing." His expression became one of puppy dog sincerity, "Hey...you trudge through the mud saving the galaxy...you deserve to put on a pretty dress and go dancing, have a little fun." He grinned wickedly, "We'll just go dancing _tonight,_ so we can make the cookout _tomorrow_."

"You seem awfully confident I'll go along with this change in plans, Detective."

Pete waggled his brows as he boasted, "That's because I cover all the angles, sweetheart. But if you'd rather stay home and play _doctor_..."

Rushing into the closet and hurriedly dragging out a favorite black dress, Sam answered, "Put away that stethoscope mister...we're going dancing."

The jazz club her fiancé brought her to was one recommended by another new colleague. 'Ricky' brought all his dates here and was infamous for his success with women. Dancing slowly with Pete around the small but crowded space near the band, Samantha could see why. This place had atmosphere and romantic music to spare. Swaying to the rhythm, Pete's husky voice sang to her softly,

_"It had to be you..."_

Still smiling over the romantic gesture, Sam looked toward the band. The piano player was rubbing his upraised fingers together in an unmistakable gesture. Her fiancé gave a short laugh and led her back to their table before going to the player and giving him a folded bill. The men shook hands and Pete returned to the table.

Smiling across from her, he explained,

"Ricky told me that the piano man can be persuaded to pick the songs...and recommended that song to me. It's from that 'Harry Met Sally' movie." His teeth gleamed in a self congratulatory smile. "Romantic, wasn't it?"

"Yes" Sam made herself smile.

_It was until you admitted you got the whole idea from your Don Juan colleague and bragged about it like a cocky High School boy. Not to mention paying the guy right in front of me...romantic...yeah..._

Shaking off disloyal thoughts- he _had_ learned a song just for her after all - the tall blonde smiled with all the warmth she could muster. Pete, encouraged by the reception his gesture had received, asked,

"Have you given any more thought to the house I bought for us?"

_I'm trying so hard to keep a positive attitude this evening. Why does he have to ask that particular question?_ Her smile faded, and bluish grey eyes tried to convey her seriousness to the man smiling confidently across the table,

"Pete, I love my house. I've spent a lot of time _restoring_ my house. My neighborhood's one of the best...schools, crime rate, centrality, _everything_. She teased, "And it smells good too with all the trees and flowers...why would I want to give all that up for a house that has none of its advantages for which I feel no the emotional attachment?"

Peter looked like a puppy that had just been smacked with newsprint for piddling on the floor. His face fell.

"I thought you'd want something _bigger_, something better..."

"Bigger and newer isn't _better _Pete." Reaching over to cover his hand with hers, the troubled Colonel tried again to smile and lighten the mood, "Let's go down the block and find a couple of espressos with our names on them."

"What about Biscotti?"

Sam's smile became genuine. Nothing kept Pete down for long. "Definitely...chocolate chip biscotti are calling us too. C'mon, let's go. "

* * *

Waking on Saturday morning felt like Deja Vu all over again to the former Major. Music spilled through her alarm speakers while she yawned and ran slim fingers through her short, mussed hair and listened to Gwen Stefani's voice pouting over the airwaves._  
_

Something about the words bothered her. Cutting off the angst ridden song _Underneath it All_ and turning to stare at the ceiling, Carter wondered what is was she was eating or drinking on the odd Friday night that led to such bizarre dreams. The one she had just awakened from didn't drive her to tears; it had royally pissed her off- and she was still seething even now. She knew the dream didn't _mean_ anything...it might even seem funny...in the distant future...she didn't take the nightmare _personally. _Hands clenched into fists, even as the Colonel reminded herself that Daniel had once told her that dreams experienced right before waking had more impact upon the psyche because they were so _vivid_...

The dream had started off in O'Neill's office. Sam had been staring at the eagle statue behind the General's desk. Before she could make herself meet his understanding gaze and tell him what she really needed to say, his door had burst open.

"Hi there! I'm Kerry Johnson, with the C.I.A...I'm _so_ pleased to meet you General...I've been a big fan of yours for _such_ a long time..."

Ms. Sunshine here sure had some nerve. Colonel Carter challenged the intrusive woman. "How long?"

Dragging her reluctant gaze to the taller woman, Ms. Perky had chirped, "Oh ever since I set eyes on him." She laughed in a way that reminded Sam of Minnie Mouse on helium, "Three Weeks ago!"

The rugged General laughed along with the annoying Ms. Johnson. Firmly maneuvering the woman from the room with a gritted, "Come back later- the General's in a meeting." Carter leaned against the closed door and took a deep breath. O'Neill moved around the desk toward her and she met him halfway. About to express her true feelings, the Colonel was interrupted again.

"Oh My **Gosh**! I can't believe I forgot to give you these I'm-so-thrilled-to-be-working-with-you _brownies_!" Putting the- artistically arranged in a basket lined with an Air Force blue napkin - baked goods on the General's desk right by his red phone, Ms. Martha Stewart on crack trilled, "My brownies are _famous_! Why I've won fifteen blue ribbons at fourteen State Fairs!" 

"You mean fifteen?" Carter ground out.

"NO, _silly_, one year they were _so_ good I was awarded **two **ribbons!"

Wrapping her capable hand around the peppy woman's squishy little arm; she bared a facsimile of a smile and began to inexorably drag Ms. Toothpaste commercial teeth to the door. Giving a satisfactory shove to unlatch dainty fingers' leech like suction on the doorjamb, Sam once again closed the door.

With a sigh of relief, the Colonel turned to open herself up to the General- only to find him sitting on the edge of his desk munching a brownie.

"These are damn fine brownies!" O'Neill exclaimed through a mouthful of chocolate.

"_Jack_...I...I...wanted you to know..."

"My brownies won **two** ribbons at the _Minnesota _State Fair! I wanted you to know that, General, because the Land of a Thousand Lakes is my _favorite_ state in the _whole_ nation!" The human jack-in-the-box was back, but Sam was almost sure she had locked that door...

Spewing crumbs, the General cried, "Holy Hanna! I've got a _cabin_ in Minnesota! I'm there every chance I get to go _fishing_!"

"I _love_ fishing!" Ms. Cheerleaders are people too gushed with a grin that displayed every capped tooth.

Sam had had it. Glaring daggers, she accused, "You've never fished a day in your life Ms. French Manicure!"

"But I'd love to if _Jack_...pardon me..._General_ O'Neill would teach me..."Long lashes fluttered as Ms. Scarlet O'Hara's got nothing on me gazed entreatingly at the distinguished man brushing brownie crumbs off his uniform. 

"Call me _Jack_...there's no pesky fraternization regulations for _you _to worry your pretty little head about..."

Carter wrenched open the door and slammed it shut with enough force to hear several photographs shatter satisfyingly on the other side. Stalking down the corridor, she met Teal'c, who calmly raised his shirt and asked if she thought his abdominal muscles were toned enough. Reaching back, the enraged woman punched the large man's middle with all her strength. Bending over and moaning, Teal'c said faintly, "Indeed, they are _not_."

Sam awoke with the same urge to hit something, NOW. At first, she tried to deny the urge, rationalizing that the feeling was a natural by product of the vision and one that would pass without resorting to unnecessary violence. After a tooth grinding moment of reflection, Carter thought _What the heck , I can be Martha too...Violence...it's a good thing... _Grabbing her pillow from behind her head, she sat up and punched it as hard as she could. White feathers exploded into the air and drifted down like surreal snow. Sighing in relief as the dream induced rage subsided, Carter rolled out of bed to go get a broom.

Standing in her kitchen and reaching past the muesli box for the Fruit Loops that had somehow fallen into her shopping cart on her last trip to the store, the jeans clad woman poured a bowl of cereal and sat down at the table to eat. She smirked while she looked down at the latest shirt Cassie had sent from college.

It was black with a yellow happy cartoon bunny on it. Over the bunny read the caption 'School Prepares You for the Real World,' Underneath the bunny was the phrase 'which also sucks'. Cassie had assimilated into American culture...perhaps a bit too well...

Thinking of Cassie reminded Sam to check her email. Rinsing her bowl, she left it in the sink and went to turn the computer on.

Checking her inbox, there was _indeed_ a message from Cassie. The young woman Sam would've been proud to call her daughter emailed,

**Dear Sam,**

**I've tried calling but you've been out saving the...world...or something. Did you get the package? I hope you actually wear these T-shirts I send- a little subversive humor is good for you- look at Jack! Speaking of Jack, I won't say again that you're making the biggest mistake of your life and may regret it bitterly until the day you die.(ironic smile) I'll just tell you that I want you to be happy and I support _you_ if not your decisions. So, I'll be a bridesmaid if you don't come to your senses, but I refuse to wear one of those frilly dresses. As usual, I'm acing my classes and making lots of new friends. One girl, Mary Catherine, is Catholic like you and tells me to 'Let Go and Let God' when I worry too much. I think I'll take that advice. **

**Love, Cassie**

A bittersweet smile spread across Carter's face as she emailed a short message confirming that she was wearing her T-shirt as she typed and was duly appreciating the subversive humor. Thanking Cassie for her support even without approval, she promised not to pick out anything frilly for the wedding...whenever in the future that might happen to be. Sending her love, Sam sent the message and scanned the others in the inbox. Nothing was urgent, so she logged off and got ready to leave the house and run her errands.

* * *

Later that day, the Colonel was putting away the last of the groceries when the cell phone rang. Cutting the Star Wars theme off mid chime, she smiled reflexively upon hearing Pete's voice. He was calling to remind her of the cookout they were attending- he would pick her up in a couple of hours. 

Getting dressed, Sam wondered what to wear. It was a backyard cookout, which meant casual. It was also a new guy shows off his fiancé occasion, which meant dressing to impress. Nothing in her closet was anything close to casually impressive. On an impulse, the tall blonde checked out the closet in the double duty Cassie/Guest Room. Sure enough, the closet was half full of clothes. Shifting through the items remaining on the rack, Sam came across a bluish grey sheer blouse with a matching silk tank. It almost matched the color of her eyes. Imagining the set paired with her favorite jeans, she had a winner.

Pete was bowled over when Sam answered the door. Wagging his eyebrows, he said playfully, "Wow. Are you Samantha Carter or a _Stepford Wife_?" He grinned as he took a not so playful punch in the arm. Rubbing his sore limb- his sweetie sure packed a punch, he begged, "Forgive me, you look amazing..." He was much happier with the kiss he received in reward for that remark.

Driving up to the large tri-level home of Pete's co-worker, Sam stated dubiously, "Mike affords this on a _cop's_ salary?"

"Nah...he's a golden boy whose daddy who owns a mining company. Lucky for us, he likes to entertain..."

Admiring the clean lines of the Arts and Crafts furniture and the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired stained glass windows they passed on the way to the enormous back yard overlooking a golf course, Sam was glad she had dressed up more than usual. Her definition of a cookout and the 'golden boy's' were far different. A vision of O'Neill grilling on a Hibachi flashed into her mind and was firmly shoved into the isolation chamber that kept a legion of inappropriate thoughts safely locked away.

"Shanahan, my man!" cried a hearty voice by the bar. Wearing a gaudy Hawaiian shirt and a big smile, the host of the catered 'cookout' greeted his colleague with a handshake. After being introduced, he engulfed Sam in a hug. "What's a goddess like you doing with a guy like Shanahan?"

Smiling at his infectious good humor, Sam dryly responded, "It's nice to be worshipped Mike."

"If you want to be worshipped, darlin', you need a man who knows how to do it right...Pete here is still learning remedial lessons..."

The white smile flashing from a darkly handsome face had to be the infamous 'Ricky'. As the player kissed her hand during Pete's laughing introduction and gave her a heated look from his dark Latin lover eyes, Pete gave the other man a look that had Ricky smiling pleadingly,

"Don't be gettin' your Irish up, Shanahan; I remember your little speech to the guys about what you'd do to any 'rat bastard' who tries to take _'your woman'_. Chill" Called away by a bikini clad girl emerging from the heated pool, Ricky winked at Sam and sauntered off.

After exchanging names and greetings with a myriad of colleagues and an assortment of girlfriends, wives, and in cases like Ricky's dates for a day, the mentally exhausted woman was happy to sit in a comfortable chair and pick over the wide selection of food Pete had considerately piled on her plate. Nibbling at a slice of melon, she had to admit the laid back detective really knew how to throw a party. Sipping her sparkling water awhile later, Sam smiled at Pete and excused herself to go 'powder her nose'. Climbing up the wide staircase to find an unoccupied lavatory, she passed a dark haired woman who was on her way down.

"There's a bathroom upstairs first door on the right." the dark eyed woman said helpfully before asking, "Are you Pete Shanahan's fiancé?" After hearing the blonde's affirmative, the woman's lips curved wryly, "I guess you must have passed the background check, then, unlike Pete's _first_ wife..."

"What do you mean, _'background check'_?" Sam's intimidating glare took effect as the woman backpedaled,

"Hey, I thought you _knew_ about Pete's past, but if he hasn't explained his suspicious quirks or told you about his pal in the F.B.I. far be it for _me_..."

"How do you know _anything_ about Pete?" the angry demand cut into the woman's speech.

"His ex is my _cousin_...so I know enough to pity..."

"_Honey,_ we've got to go...Matt could only cover for me so long..."

Sam watched numbly as a tall man she didn't remember being introduced to nodded his head politely and led the woman whose brows were still drawn in concern away.

After she had returned to Pete's side, Carter still didn't know what to make of the bizarre conversation that had taken place on the stairs. The woman had _seemed_ so genuine in her emotions, but...

"Looks like Jim had to leave...good." the Lt. Colonel's attention was drawn to her fianc's wry expression, " Jim's an okay guy, but his wife's my ex's _cousin_...small world, huh...she never liked me, so I'm glad she left before trying to poison you against me somehow..." He laughed shortly, "Janice should change her name to something without the word 'nice' in it."

The relieved woman decided not to mention that the woman had poured her poison into Sam's receptive ear before leaving. Obviously, Janice had an axe to grind on her cousin's behalf and nothing she said had any credibility whatsoever. Guilty over momentary doubts, the reserved Colonel threw herself into being sociable and outgoing in reparation for her unfounded misgivings.

Later that evening, Carter was shamefully thankful that her fiancé had to leave and cover a colleague's late shift in payback for his taking Pete's duty last night. She needed time to think about certain issues and the good Detective was all too skilled at making rational thought impossible. With a last lingering kiss, the smiling woman waved goodbye. Stepping inside, she locked the door and turned off the light.

* * *

Waking up on Sunday morning, Sam stretched, reprieved from the usual musical morning wakeup. Humming the catchy tune O'Neill had once remarked on in an elevator once, she bounded from the bed and hit the shower, feeling at peace with herself. 

Over a bowl of oatmeal, the Colonel debated whether to go to Mass and light her own candle. Remembering a certain old Russian lady from the park, she smiled, and then frowned at the knock sounding at the front door. Who could be visiting this early on a Sunday morning? She padded barefoot to the front door.

Upon seeing the familiar rugged face on her porch, Sam opened the door and joined the General outside. He had driven over in his big fossil fuel guzzling green truck. Dressed as casually as she was, deep dark eyes twinkled at the sight of her T-shirt.

"Looks like Cassie strikes again."

She smirked down at her favorite rebellion tee- a drawing of an alien and spaceship with the caption 'Maybe WE don't believe in YOU' over it. Looking up to meet the eyes so seriously studying her face, Carter agreed,

"Yes...She knows I'll wear anything she sends. I miss her so much."

"Me too" Running his fingers through his short gray hair, O'Neill looked ill at ease, but determined. He blurted, "Look...You were going to say something...in my office...and you got cut off..." Dark eyes skirted away then back, "I just wanted to apologize for that...I'm here to listen if there's something you want to say..."

"I don't know _what_ to say..." _Sam_ admitted to _Jack_. "You...Pete...Jacob...I don't know what to _think_, to feel, to **say**..." Pale eyes grew shiny with suppressed emotion.

"Say what you feel, Carter...stop trying to think about what everyone else deserves...what about _you _and what **you** need?"

"I think I need to go to Mass and light a candle...maybe every candle in the church."

Mobile lips widened in a rueful smile, "I was going to suggest fishing. Kerry Johnson asked me to give her a lesson at the pond behind her place and I thought she'd like another woman to keep her company..." His voice trailed away at the strange expression on the Colonel's face. He asked uncertainly, "Not interested?"

"I'm interested, General...today's just not the day...can I get a rain check on that offer?"

A boyish sparkle lit the dark eyes and widened his infectious smile, "Carter, you know _damn well_ I'm never gonna stop asking you to go _fishin'_."

An unexpected, unreasonable, and unexplainable sense of joy welled up inside the woman as she promised, "One day, O'Neill...one day I'm going to take you up on that offer."

"And then what?"

"And then I'll land the biggest fish of my life, General."

"Big words, Carter"

"Big fish, O'Neill"

With a smiling shake of his head and a wave goodbye, the General drove off. Heading to her bedroom to change and get ready for Mass, Sam happily wondered if Father Ryan still presided over a welcome tea after the morning service. Her mouth watered thinking about the tempting array of baked goods all the little old ladies lovingly assembled. Except a brownie...anything else would do, but she couldn't stand the thought of a double-damned brownie.

* * *

A/N Well, I feel better...except for the urge for a damn brownie! lol.Review and let me know how you liked the story! Any excuse to dance a happy dance...! 


	2. Twisted Threads

Disclaimer: Never say never again. Really, the moment you say, that'll be a one-shot, someone will write a fic that inspires you- like my GateSeeker2 pal- and you'll find your brain whirling with ideas for another go-round. Everyone looking forward to the Threads Episodes- 2 parts of agony/ecstasy- while despising the thought of Kerry and Jack almost as much as Sam and Pete (cause we haven't seen her yet- I'm sure we'll loathe her just as much afterwards)...this is for you! lol

* * *

Twisted Threads 

Pocketing the keys to her Volvo, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter frowned at the place Jack..._General O'Neill_...had suggested they meet at for a TGIF get-together. It was...different...from O'Malley's- that was readily apparent. The line of motorcycles parked out front was the first clue. The neon sign of a crowing cock and the name The Red Rooster emblazoned above the door was another. In the windows, so many beer logos blazed that it almost looked like Christmas lights. Glancing down at the cowboy boots Cassie had sent with the not-so-subtle message- _These boots were made for walkin'- so wear them and maybe you'll walk away from...things...that aren't good for you- _the leggy blonde smiled ruefully. At least her boots and tight jeans would fit right in with the boot-scootin' clientele. Double-checking to make sure every button on her blue silk camp shirt was fastened; Sam took a deep breath and walked into the bar.

Scanning the dim, smoke-hazy interior, the tall woman coughed until her lungs became accustomed to the contaminants in what passed as air. The interior was roomier than it looked from the outside. At the far left a small stage backed against the wall painted with a monster-sized red rooster. A small dance floor stood empty in front of it. The bar ran the length of the back wall, and what looked like the local order of Hell's Angels was propping up most of the bar stools. Tables and chairs were scattered over the middle of the room, with pool tables taking center stage at the far right. A boyishly enthusiastic voice called from the dark corner by the dance floor,

"Hey Sam, over here!"

Daniel was waving with a beer bottle in his hand. Some sloshed out and he grinned as he shook it off his fingers. Laughing, Sam weaved her way through the tables until she reached the group. Telling the man whose vivid blue eyes glinted with humor behind his glasses that they'd been harder to spot than Gorillas in the mist; the tall woman returned his brief hug and accepted a bottle of beer. Smirking at the General who looked way too good in a denim shirt and jeans, Carter raised her long neck bottle and said, "Guinness? In a honky-tonk like this? I'm impressed!"

"You don't think I'd suggest a place that didn't serve it, did you?"

Brown eyes locked with bluish grey as she returned the mischievous grin, glad to be with him...and the rest of the guys. Teal'c had just figured out that she'd been referring to a movie with the Gorilla's comment and was saying,

"Gorillas would be very hard to see in the mist. Indeed, _anything_ would."

Daniel rolled his eyes and handed the other man a basket of peanuts. The large man accepted the nuts. Curving his lips, Teal'c informed Sam,

"The floor in this establishment is made of a substance that is conducive to cleaning with pressured water. The customers are encouraged to throw the shells onto the floor. It is very amusing to do so- here, try it."

Accepting a nut and dutifully breaking it open and throwing the shell over her shoulder, the Lt. Colonel was shocked to hear a breathy feminine voice exclaim,

"Ouch!"

The General responded to her look of incredulity with a sheepish grin. Sam knew her mouth was hanging open in affronted disbelief, but she couldn't help it. Kerry Johnson, C.I.A. operative and all around perky pain in the ass was sitting her frilly white blouse and long denim skirted self down by 'Jack' and smiling at everyone. Noticing the other woman's expression, a look of concern darkened Kerry's eyes.

"Don't look so upset, Sandra, I know you didn't mean to hit me with that shell. It's not your fault that my skin's so delicate." A small, elegant hand rose to the small red mark on her cheekbone and rubbed.

"It's _Samantha_."

Melodic laughter poured from the woman who was giving Scarlett O'Hara a run for her money in the feminine wiles department.

"Oh, silly me, I keep forgetting. Sa-_man_-tha...I should remember that because you have 'man' in your name and _Jack_ tells me you're just like one of the guys."

The hand resting in Carter's lap clenched into a fist. Before she could do something rash, say throw her beer in the perfectly made up face, Teal'c's throwing of peanut shells onto the floor distracted Ms. Johnson's attention.

"Oh, oh no, no, don't _do_ that...I know you're not from our planet, and your ways are not _our ways_, but throwing things on the floor is called _littering_ here on earth, and I must insist you stop."

"Shall you also insist the other patrons stop? Perhaps the owner should be apprised of your view on littering, as he has encouraged the customers to do precisely that with their shells...maybe his ways are not _your ways _either."

Wow. Teal'c's lifted eyebrow was amazing. It depressed the woman's pretensions better than his impassively scathing words. She looked ready to cry until 'Jack' smoothed things over, explaining to Kerry, in small words, about the floor, and peanuts, and how it wasn't littering. The woman gave an appealingly embarrassed smile,

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, I had no idea...this is a very..._rustic_...place, isn't it?"

"That's one way to describe it."

Daniel was looking around the bar in amused interest. Sam wondered if he was trying to find a missing link among the customers. The guy with the leather vest and copious back hair at the end of the bar would be a good candidate for DNA testing.

About to kid the smiling man about his potential anthropological find, Carter was interrupted by the bartender, who announced that karaoke night had officially begun. The group flashed each other horrified looks, except for Johnson. She clapped her hands and stood up abruptly.

"Oh Jack, I love to sing...I want to sing a song just for _you_...and the rest of the guys, of course."

"Of course" Carter agreed snidely. The sarcasm slid off Teflon Woman and she pranced onto the stage where a gentleman with a ten-gallon hat and a rodeo belt buckle that could almost be seen under his beer gut helped her pick a song. Sitting on a stool with a microphone, Kerry looked like a Stepford Wife gone Country. Her smile was just as creepy. She didn't need to read words like other mortals. The goddess of music just needed to stare over at Jack's face to be inspired to sing,

Jaws dropped around the table. Daniel's blue eyes were huge behind his glasses. They'd been on missions that had tested their spirits, their endurance, even their sanity, but this was beyond anything they'd experienced before.

_"Rocky Mountain High"_

Before Sam's horrified gaze, the guys seemed to fall under the spell of the syrupy voice and sugary lyrics. Daniel's forehead creased, as if trying to fight the impulse to give in to the siren song. Teal'c stared ahead without expression- perhaps he was escaping to a safe place in his mind. The General..._Jack_, to the creature warbling about 'the forest and the stream', was smiling reminiscently. Was he imagining catching the biggest fish in the lake or remembering teaching the woman who was displaying her capped teeth so well how to fish? What else had he taught her? Blinking as the last 'Rocky Mountain High' hung in the air more corrosively than carcinogens; _Jack_ gave a bemused grin and confessed,

"I used to think people who sang that song should be taken out and shot- but now, I don't know. I'm really starting to like it. Go figure."

Carter figured it was the _figure_ of the woman who was bouncing back to her seat like some energizer bunny, who kept going, and going, and going, who'd changed his formerly rational intellect. Holy Hannah, did this woman have the power to cloud men's minds or what? Listening to her dazed friends and colleagues' compliment the woman on her 'beautiful song', the blonde slammed her third beer onto the table with a thud. Everyone looked at her. Kerry frowned, possibly at Sam's rude drawing of attention away from the center of the universe- herself.

Standing up, she told the group, "If you want to hear a song, well, do I have a song for you." Relaxed enough from alcohol to do something she might wish she couldn't remember tomorrow, Sam headed to the stage. After asking 'Cowboy Bob' if he had the song she had in mind, he grinned, displaying the results of decades of smoking. Taking a step back, Carter wondered if she might not be making a big mistake. Looking at sheet music, her analytical mind quickly reassured her that she did remember the words to the song Cassie had highlighted on the back of the CD included with the boots. For some unfathomable reason, the tune had stuck in her head and been sung constantly ever since. Pete had heard her humming it one day and asked her laughingly when she'd started listening to Country. She had said she didn't, but that wasn't the whole truth. Sam had become very fond of listening to one particular song by a specific country artist.

Grey-blue eyes flickered to the table. The guys were laughing. _Okay_, maybe she'd sung _Row, Row, Row Your Boat_ badly one time, but that was because she'd been self-conscious. After a few beers, she no longer cared who heard, and her vocal quality improved dramatically. Or so Peter assured her. Shrugging, she glanced over Jack's way again. He was smiling at her and nodding his head in encouragement. His dark chocolate gaze enticed her into doing something wild. She took off her shirt. She was wearing a white camisole and strapless bra under it, but he didn't know that when she undid the first button. His lips parted and kept widening until his mouth hung open. The General's eyes followed her fingers intently. When she opened her blouse and let the sleeves fall off her shoulders, the bikers at the bar weren't the only ones whistling. Daniel had both pinky fingers in his mouth making a shrill sound, but Jack's was a silent one that thrilled her the most.

"Ya ready, lil' lady?"

Dropping her blouse onto the stool she wouldn't be sitting on, Carter nodded and picked up the microphone. A sideways glance at Ms. Posture-Perfect was all she needed to harden her resolve to give the folks a song they wouldn't forget. Waving to the boys at the bar, who didn't look so frightening anymore, Samantha explained that she was singing a song by Lee Ann Womack and waited for the music to begin. The song was a good one for a shaky singer- she could talk/sing the song about having a sister bring over a paper with the woman's Ex...and his _fiancée's_ picture 'on the social page'.

Sam was no 'Redneck Woman', but some concepts are universal. The crowd sure seemed to like her song, or maybe it was the way she swung her hips. Daniel was falling over laughing at the way she looked at Kerry when singing that line. Her shoulders were getting into the act as she pointed to the table and declared the song title, "_I really hate her, I'll think of a reason later."_

The clapping and shouted encouragement really loosened Sam up. She was doing moves she hadn't done since she was Cassie's age. The good General was riveted. He pulled his collar away from his throat, as if it had suddenly become too tight. She shook everything that moved as she sang. Ms. Johnson was starting to get the idea that maybe; just maybe; the song was directed at _her_. Gee, Carter only had to point at her, and sing staring at the table for her to get a clue. She'd love to see the woman's SAT scores...and find out if her IQ was bigger than her bra size too. The woman was glaring with pink cheeks as Sam finished.

Bowing to her adoring fans, which set them to whooping and hollering even more for some reason, the blonde grabbed her blouse and strolled back to the table. Teal'c nodded his head in approval. Daniel was holding his sides and gasping,

"That was...amazing, Sam...I didn't think you had it in you. If I didn't hurt so bad from laughing, I'd hug you."

O'Neill was staring at her as if he'd like to pull her across the table, onto his lap, and kiss her with long, slow, deep, wet kisses. She leaned forward, to make his reach easier, when sharp fingernails gouged her arm. Red faced and determined, Kerry demanded,

"Were you singing that song...about _me_?"

"Wow, you're smarter than you look." Whoever was currently taking over Sam's formerly cool, calm and collected body was welcome to keep it until they ripped those fake fingernails off and sent this woman packing. When the alternate personality sat on Jack's lap though, Sam would take it from there.

"Don't touch her, lady."

The large gentleman with the skull tattoo was sweet to intervene, but another patron whose pony-tail was poor compensation for the large bald spot on top of his head disagreed.

"She can touch anybody she wants, man."

It seemed the patrons were divided on who they preferred- Sam or Kerry. The only way they had to determine the winner was a barroom brawl. Carter ducked a wild swing that flew her way and shoved Ms. Johnson toward the door. "Get out of here before you get hurt!" Squeaking, Kerry ran incredibly fast for a woman in four inch heels. Sneering at the woman's retreating backside, which was a lot bigger than she'd thought, Sam almost got punched in the face. Luckily, she was able to raise her arm and take it in the elbow. The enormous biker who'd thrown the punch bent over and cried like a little girl from the pain.

Giving Teal'c a high five, the Lt. Colonel only had to side kick a couple of knees to make her way to the door with the rest of the guys. Outside, they ran toward their vehicles like teenagers trying to leave a wild party before the cops were called. Teal'c jumped into Daniel's car and the two grinned as the brown-haired man sprayed gravel pealing out of the parking lot. Ms. Johnson's car was long gone. Standing between Jack's truck and her car, Sam almost put on her shirt, but she didn't feel cold. Not with the way those brown eyes were roaming heatedly over her curves.

"Hey Carter"

"Yeah"

"Call me Jack"

She grinned, "Okay Jack...call me Sam"

"Hey Sam"

"Yeah, Jack?"

He moved closer, the gleam in his eye one she'd dreamed about seeing for a long, long time. A warm palm cupped her cheek as he looked into her eyes and asked,

"Can I...?"

Her mouth answered the question he hadn't asked yet, pressing against his as she melted into his embrace. All thoughts of fraternization and fiancées were lost as lips clung and moved in a kiss that had been building for years. It was worth the wait. Sam sank her fingers into Jack's short hair, while he returned the favor, using his grip on her soft strands to tilt her head and deepen the kiss. Nothing had ever felt as good as Jack's body moving against hers. Sam wanted to kiss him for hours. She wanted to do lots of things with him for hours. Some distant corner of her brain started calculating how many hours were theoretically possible for her to have left in her life. The number sounded way too low, but she supposed it would do. The hood of her Volvo had never seemed a particularly romantic spot, but now it was the ideal place to lean back against as Jack's lips left hers and trailed kisses across her cheek, down her neck and...

**"Sam! Sam! Are you okay? I called a dozen times but you didn't answer! Wake up, baby!"**

Being shaken awake by her fiancée when she'd just been dreaming about another man made Sam's heart pound harder than when Jack's lips had been just about to... She brushed Pete's hands away, sitting up and lunging off the bed. His eyes gave her that puppy dog look. Why was she always pulling away? Shaking her head, she smiled shakily and said in apology, "Sorry, Pete...I had a...really...intense dream...and when you woke me so abruptly, I was..."

He smiled understandingly,

"Hey, I should've known better. When I'm sleeping, sometimes I throw a punch if someone tries to wake me up. Don't worry about it beautiful, what was dream about...interplanetary bad guys chasing you?"

No. Not quite. Stretching her lips into a smile, the blonde ran a shaky hand through her hair and lied, "Something like that. Look, I need to get a shower, wake up...do you want to have breakfast here, or go out?"

"Let's go out."

Relieved at not having to be trapped with Pete in her small kitchen, she nodded and hurriedly ducked into the bathroom, wondering when she'd started thinking of being with Pete as being trapped. Animals were trapped, not people. She had chosen to be with him, she wasn't caught, having to decide whether to gnaw off a limb or tug futilely until a hunter put her out of her misery. Stepping under the warm spray, Carter concentrated on washing her crazy thoughts and the memory of that crazy dream away with the slight tang of sweat.

Pulling on a pair of jeans and sticking the boots Cassie had sent in the back of the closet, she picked out a tee with tiny bluebells printed on it because Pete had complimented her the last time she'd worn it. Said it turned her blue-grey eyes as pretty as the flowers. Alright, the compliment left a lot to be desired when analyzed, but like most things, Pete was best taken at face value. Impulsively, Sam wore a pair of small gold hoop earrings that, along with the makeup and flowery shirt made her look incredibly feminine. So soft and feminine, in fact, that she almost changed her top for a tailored shirt. The sight of the blue camp shirt in the closet changed her mind. Sliding the door shut, she took a deep breath, or ten, plastered a smile on her face and went into the living room to tell Pete she was ready.

"Hey, Sam"

Her head jerked up as the words reminded her of the dream she'd been trying to forget. Controlling her expression and showing only mild interest, she asked stiltedly, "Yes?"

"Are you nervous about me hanging with your pals, what they'll think about me? You've picked at your food, hardly talked, it's not like you. What gives?"

She was becoming way too good at faking smiles. "Nothing...maybe I'm a little tired. Of course I'm not nervous. Who wouldn't like you, Pete?"

His face broke into a cocky grin. Pete Shanahan knew that he had a way with people. They liked him right away. The guys at his new precinct said 'Shanahan's The Man' when it came to talking to reluctant witnesses. He could charm little old ladies or hardened criminals into letting down their guards. He'd certainly charmed her into lowering hers. Samantha stopped that train of thought in its tracks. Pete had not cold-bloodedly set out to stalk and 'get' her. He'd fallen in love with her just like she'd...she'd...

"Ready to go, gorgeous?"

Nodding, she followed her fiancée out of the cafe. She wondered if she was doing the right thing, bringing Pete over to this little get together. A part of her knew it was because of who was hosting it. If anyone else had said, "I told Jack I wanted to have you guys over for a cookout and he said he'd help, so will you come and bring your fiancée?" she would've invented a reason not to come. The truth was she didn't know _how_ her closest friends in the universe were going to react to Pete. What if they didn't approve of him? What if they did? She opened her car door and slipped inside, telling herself that she was a modern woman and didn't need a man opening every door for her. They drove to a lovely house on a large lot overlooking a lake. A woman answered the door.

"Lt. Colonel...sorry, Samantha, I'm so glad you could come. Everyone's in the back. This must be Pete. Hello Pete, I'm Kerry Johnson."

The Shanahan charm worked its magic and the two chatted comfortably as Kerry led them through her beautifully decorated home to the kitchen where it was obvious that the woman enjoyed cooking. The professional stove and number of pots and herbs hanging over a center island gave Sam a pang. Not that she loved to cook, but that she knew men appreciated women who did. The back yard was a perfect lawn that led to the lake. The Colonel watched Medium length, perfect oval nails pinched off a dead flower as they passed a pot overflowing with annuals on the patio, In the distance, Carter could see Teal'c and Daniel casting lines into the lake from the wooden dock with picturesque gazebo at the end. Ha. Teal'c must be desperate to get away from Ms. Perfect to resort to fishing. Chiding herself for her unkind thought, Sam looked over at the other end of the patio, where the General was placing steaks on the grill. O'Neil looked over as he heard Kerry say warmly,

"The gang's all here Jack, how long until dinner?"

He smiled and said, "When the cow don't say moo."

The woman laughed and placed a hand on his arm. Casually, he moved toward the couple watching and it dropped to her side. Sam watched a disappointed expression shadow the woman's face and tried not to feel glad. Her eyes met the ones from her dream. They were just as dark and deep and full of longing... Pete stretched out his hand and the General shook it. The two men talked hockey and her fiancée accepted a beer that the prematurely silver-haired man offered from the cooler.

"Guinness, huh...I'm usually a Budweiser man myself, but this'll do fine."

A silver eyebrow rose as a humorous dark glance was shot Sam's way. Kerry and Pete carried the conversation while the blonde tried to ignore the way O'Neill scrutinized everything about the man she'd planned...she planned to marry. The other woman hooked her arm through the General's and this time he allowed it to stay there. Bluish-grey eyes met deep-set brown. She could feel her eyes mist. She must be allergic to something. Probably Kerry's perfume...or maybe Pete's cologne...

Suggesting to Pete that they go walk down the dock and say hello to Teal'c and Daniel, Sam curved her lips as Ms. Johnson said she'd stay and get the food ready, keep Jack company. Unable to look at _Jack_ again, the taller woman nodded and moved toward the dock, holding Pete's hand. Daniel was jumping up and down in excitement over reeling in a fish. Teal'c was shaking his head, perplexed as to how his text-book superior method of casting had not achieved such favorable results. She could hear Kerry telling Jack what a cute couple she and 'that nice Detective Shanahan' made, and asking when they were getting married. O'Neill's reply made her spirits lift, and for the first time since they'd arrived, a true smile spread across Sam's face.

"Not anytime soon, that's for sure. Carter's got too much damn work to do."

* * *

A/N: Thanks again to GateSeeker2, who caught a mistake that had my brown eyes turning blue...samething I had to do to Daniel's to fix the faux pas- lol. My pal's new fic made me bummed, although I know it will be happy in the end, so I wrote this to cheer myself up. I love the thought of cool, calm, and collected Sam going wild, and especially going wild with Jack. heh. Give me the gift of a review and let me know how you liked the second installment of Threads! Live and die free and all that jazz! 


	3. Fraying Threads

Disclaimer: If I owned any rights to Stargate, Pete would've been a two-episode character whose role would've been to make Jack realize he can't live without Sam...or vice versa. Then I would've had him die tragically in the line of duty.(sigh) I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Kerry will be the catalyst Pete wasn't. It's hard to type with fingers crossed, but it's worth it! lol.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and extra special thanks to **GateSeeker2 **who inspired, **Sci Fi Fan Gillian & SG1-Fanfic** who reviewed both chaps & my other Sam/Jack _Ideal Love_ fic as well and encouraged so awesomely, and **Holly Mariano** whose read my Harry Potter fic too!

* * *

Fraying Threads 

**Dreams are merely the mind's way of dealing with desires that cannot be fulfilled...**

Teal'c's words ran through Carter's mind as she prepared for bed. Rinsing her face, the blonde told her image in the bathroom mirror, "I'm not Daniel. That doesn't apply to me. I will have a decent night's sleep again. I _will._" Nodding her head determinedly, blue-grey eyes were steely with resolve. She was wearing her favorite nightshirt, tomorrow was Friday, and all reports due had been handed in early. She was so efficient, she even had time for a visit to the SG7 guys, who had called right before she left and said they 'had an interesting plant' for her office desk, and to come by tomorrow and get it. Felger was a decent guy, if a bit...eccentric...and she actually looked forward to visiting the lab. It had been awhile since she'd laughed at him...er...he'd made her laugh. Making her way to the bed, Sam set her alarm clock and settled down after fluffing her pillows and saying her prayers. The plea for a dreamless sleep was particularly fervent. Her eyes grew heavy, and closed.

* * *

The park was one of Sam's favorite places. The families and couples enjoying the sunny day and each others' company lifted her spirits. Today was especially nice, because Pete was with her. He made her feel like she was the most beautiful, amazing woman in the world. That was a lovely way to feel. She cared about him so much. Watching the smiling man buy a couple of hotdogs from the vendor playing a Garth Brooks country song about some of God's greatest gifts being _unanswered prayers_, the Lt. Colonel smiled too. Pete could talk to anyone and make a friend. The next time they came here, he would remember the vendor's name, and the name of his kids. It was a gift. Turning with their lunch, the brown eyes of her boyfriend twinkled as he saw her stare incredulously at his hotdog. 

"What's the matter, never seen my 'Shanahan Special' before?"

The leggy blonde thanked him for the normal hotdog he handed over and replied as they headed for an empty park bench, "No, and I can honestly say I hope I never see it again. How can you eat that?" Pete just grinned. They sat on the bench and leaned sideways to talk to each other. The man's hair blew in the wind. Carter could never decide whether it was dirty blonde or sandy brown. Whatever, it was nice hair, really, even if it wasn't as thick or distinguished as...what did Pete just say?

"Sorry, talking while chewing is so rude. I just asked how things were going in the galaxy."

Gently, she reminded her boyfriend that she couldn't talk about her job. He gave her his little boy 'I'm naughty, but love me anyway' apologetic smile. She stared. There was a piece of sauerkraut hanging from one of his teeth. Sam tapped her tooth to let him know. He shook his head,

"No, there's nothing in your teeth, babe...you know, I keep forgetting my girlfriend's a superhero. I wonder if Lois Lane ever mentioned anything to Clark Kent at work, or Mary Jane Watson said anything she shouldn't to Peter Parker out in public...I've still got every comic book I ever read, so maybe I'll go through them and see. The next time you want to watch a boring chick flick, I'll break out the comics. What? Oh, _**my** **tooth**_, thanks, gorgeous." Pete casually picked the bit of kraut out and flicked it over the back of the bench. The expression on Sam's face made him laugh. Taking another large bite, the man chewed a couple of times, swallowed, and said,

"Yeah, I loaded this down with chili and cheese, didn't I...oops!" A long strand of melted cheese dangled from the bun and then fell on his pants. Pete wiped his leg and offered, "Sure you don't want to try some?"

"No thanks." Leaning away from the 'Shanahan Special', the Colonel who didn't feel hungry anymore turned the conversation to their relationship. They both smiled as they talked. There was one tense moment, when Pete laughed off what he called the 'stalker incident', but his girlfriend rationalized that he was just using humor to apologize and focused on the fact that otherwise, they were both happy. Suddenly, her keen senses detected that they were being observed. Glancing quickly behind her, she saw the culprit. Sam drew in a sharp breath. Every muscle tensed. It wasn't an armed Goa'uld; it was something worse- _a mime_! The manically grinning menace, encouraged by her horrified gaze, pulled himself over to their bench using an 'invisible rope'. He proceeded to 'walk downstairs' behind their bench and then 'ride the escalator' back up only to find that he was 'trapped' in an 'invisible box'. Once Pete stopped clapping and noticed his girlfriend's grimace, he flashed his badge.

"Beat it Bozo, before I run you in for disturbing the peace."

White face set in offended dignity at being called a _clown_; the mime picked up an imaginary oar and rowed his 'canoe' away to another couple on another bench.

"You couldn't really bust that guy, could you?"

The detective's smug grin widened as he told Sam,

"Sure I could. I just transferred to the Colorado Springs Police Department."

The words were heard, but it took the woman hearing them a moment to actually _believe_ that Pete had made such a life-altering decision without her input. She stammered, "Are you sure?"

He leaned close and stared deeply into her eyes. Gazing into brown, blue-grey started to water. Holy Hanna, was there an _entire_ onion on that hotdog? While she tried to blink the fumes away, her boyfriend said huskily,

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life." Finishing his hotdog in one more enormous, cheek stretching bite, he chewed, swallowed, and reached into his jacket pocket and brought out a small box.

Staring down at the engagement ring, Sam was taken aback. She didn't know what to say- literally. Pete's breath made her cough convulsively. Her watery eyes searched his. He seemed so sincere, wanting her to take her time and think about it, about them, and the life they could have together. Forever. Until death did them part. Nodding her head, she jumped to her feet, needing some water, and some space away from those fumes. Making her way to the nearby fountain, she noticed two teenaged girls standing and staring. They had obviously been eavesdropping. The red head looked at her brunette friend. The gum-chewing brunette shook her head and blew an enormous bubble, popped it, and chewed again. The fiery-haired girl looked pityingly at Sam and with all the bluntness of youth declared,

"Lady...that was the most suck-ass proposal I ever heard. My stupid _brother_ did better than that and he proposed to his girlfriend in a freakin Chuck-E-Cheese with a million brats running around. At least _he_ took off the head to his Chuck-E-Cheese costume and went down on one knee!"

Blowing another bubble, the brunette advised after popping it,

"Yeah. That dude's a loser. No offense. Just sayin'...I'd make him take you out to a nice restaurant, get dressed up, do it right before you say yes. If it was _me_, I'd make him do it and say _hell no_, just for giving me a ring with a damn hot dog. But it's your life lady..."

Floored by the statements of strangers- and teenagers at that- Sam silently watched the girls saunter away before moving to get some water...she couldn't think of anything to say.

Lifting her head, she met the gaze of General Jack O'Neill.

"Hey Carter...I was just dreaming about you...why do you have clothes on? Oh. Yeah. Not my dream. Okay, I'm disappointed, but I can work with this, I like parks- why am I here?"

"Would you ever propose over a hotdog?"

A boyish grin creased Jack's lean face and made his brown eyes twinkle,

"Are you kidding me? What kind of jerk does that? Don't tell me...Pete the Policeman..._geez, Louise_..." He shook his head, offended and amused simultaneously.

Her cheeks were heating and her eyes were just as snappy as her tone, "Okay, maybe it wasn't the most romantic proposal of all time...are you saying _you'd_ do it better?"

The world shifted and spun. Carter became so dizzy she had to close her eyes. When the Colonel opened them, she was on the General's rooftop. The railings were strung with soft white lights. A soprano sang a love song from some opera in the background. Beside the telescope was a small table that held two glasses and a bottle of champagne chilling in a silver bucket. Glancing down, Sam saw that she was wearing a strapless chiffon dress that was fitted to the waist before flaring gently to the tips of her heels. It was the same color as her eyes. Behind her, Jack said with quiet sincerity,

"I think you're beautiful in dirty fatigues, Sam, but tonight...you take my breath away."

He looked so elegant in a modern tuxedo, minus the tie, that she could only stare. His smile was smug and sexy. Taking her hand in his, he led her to the telescope. Inclining his silvery head, Jack indicated she should look through it. While she stared into the night sky, he said softly,

"That's the North Star, Sam. It never changes. I'm not going to change either. I love you, and I always will."

She looked up into his face, touched his cheek, "Oh Jack, I love you too."

Bending down on one knee, he smiled as asked, "Samantha, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She was nodding yes before he finished and smiling through tears of happiness as she said in a voice filled with emotion, "_Yes_" He rose and took her into his arms. Sweet, soft kisses turned passionate. Gently capturing the hands that had been undoing the buttons on his shirt, Jack murmured,

"I think one of the neighbor kids got a telescope for his birthday. How about we take the champagne downstairs and celebrate?" Grinning at her disappointed pout, he handed her the glasses, picked up the bottle, and stopped, a stunned look on his rugged face.

"What is it?"

He admitted sheepishly, "I forgot all about the ring. I left it downstairs on the bedside table in my..."

She stared. Was he _blushing_? Holy Hanna...it made her want to... Smiling promisingly, she said, "Why don't we go find that ring, try it on for size- see how it fits..."

Raising a silvery brow, he asserted, "Oh, I know it'll fit. It was made _just for you_."

Now _she_ was blushing! Sliding her hand into his, Sam followed the man she loved down the stairs and into his bedroom, where the ring was tried on and the fit was _perfect_.

The next time the world spun wildly and shifted back, the woman cried, "_No!_" She had been just about to try that...ring...on for size again! Grabbing onto the water fountain, she startled when two hands slid around her waist.

"Hey, babe, how thirsty were you? You've been standing here forever...I wanted to see you try on your ring."

Wrenching herself out of his grasp, Carter backed up rapidly, shaking her head and saying with wide eyes, "I can't, I have to go...a project I have to finish...a report due...wish I could tell you about it...but I can't...I'll call you..."

He stood staring after her retreating figure with a puppy-dog gaze of adoration. Pete smiled and called, "I love you!"

She tried to smile, but it was a pitiful attempt. She tried to say the words back to him, but she couldn't, so she just waved and blew a kiss before turning around and walking double-time back to her car.

The moment she got home, Sam ran into her bedroom and jumped onto the bed. Pulling a pillow down to cover her face, she yelled, "This is crazy, it can't be real, come on Carter, wake up, wake up, wake up..."

**

* * *

**

Crossly wondering how she'd set her alarm to an alternative station playing a Pearl Jam tune about a woman lying about being in love because she couldn't find a better man, Sam hit the button to stop the annoying song and return the room to silence. The bed was made with military precision, which was quite a feat since the cover was a duvet. Stomping into the shower, the Lt. Colonel drew upon her scientific mind to once again negate every aspect of a disturbing dream. As for Teal'c's thoughts about dreams...who died and made him Sigmund Freud? The man had asked "What is an Oprah" for Pete's sake!

Drying her short blonde hair, Carter thought about Pete and was consumed with guilt. She'd dreamt such uncomplimentary things about him. Was that how she really felt? No, of course it wasn't. Dreams weren't subconscious psycho-babble. They were merely bits of information the brain used to try and make people three fries short of a happy meal in their sleep. Her face in the mirror paled...now she was sounding like Jack! Adjusting her uniform to inspection caliber regulation, the woman mentally pulled herself up by her bootstraps and marched into the kitchen where she drank a diet coke, denied her urge to eat Fruit Loops out of the box, popped a couple of acetaminophens and headed out the front door.

Walking into Stargate Command, Colonel Carter nodded or saluted to those she passed and walked briskly to her lab. Opening her laptop, she checked her email and finally felt that all was right in the world again.

Hours later, the phone rang and absently she answered. The voice on the other end said,

"When are you coming to get your plant? I've been waiting all morning and it's almost time for me to go have lunch..."

Smiling, Sam said dryly, "If I'd known you were holding your breath...I'd still have made you wait, Felger." The sputtering man sighed happily when she added, "I'm on my way." Logging off, she tidied her desk, put a few items in the out box and left the office.

Felger's assistant Chloe was rushing out of the lab as Carter walked in. Returning the other woman's 'good morning', Sam looked over to where the civilian scientist appeared to be hard at work. She knew he was pretending to pay her back for 'making him wait'. Sometimes the man acted like a high school nerd with a crush on the best looking girl in the science club. Smugly reminding herself that she _had_ been the hottest chick in the science club- and every other academic club in her high school, Sam smiled and said, "If you're busy, I can come back...next week..."

The dark head jerked up faster than a puppet on strings. Brows waggling and dark eyes roving, the scientist protested,

"No, no, I can always find time for _you_, Colonel."

Glad that the man's blonde assistant that somehow worked side by side with Felger and remained hopelessly in love with the scientist wasn't there, Carter replied dryly, "Gee, thanks."

He smiled at her like she'd asked him out for a drink. Not for the first time, she wondered if the man might not have a bit of a problem distinguishing fantasy from reality. Deciding not to stand to close or smile too much ever again, Sam waited for Felger to show her the plant. He stared at her, smiling. She looked around the lab and asked to distract his attention from her...medals..."What are you working on now?"

Shaking himself out of some glazed-eye private thought, the man began rattling off the schematics to a new project. The Colonel listened intently; she was always interested in the scientist's work. His large dark eyes gleamed with a light that she'd seen once before- on a mission when he'd got a look at her in a clinging tee shirt. Thankfully, Chloe bustled back inbefore he moved into her personal space and she had to toss the man across the room. Felger, reminded of the reason he'd asked his favorite Air Force Officer to stop by in the first place, waved to a table by the door and said distractedly, his mind already on another project,

"A guy I know on Level 18 snuck...uh...brought over a couple of interesting plants that were just found on Pj2-445. I'm giving you the harmless one...that lives on air and loves to be neglected. Take it home, and think about me every time you look at it."

Shaking her head, Sam waved to the man who was the poster boy for incorrigibility and stopped by the table. An interesting, small, fern-looking plant was sitting on the table. Wondering what the dangerous plant looked like, she picked up the pot and carried her ultimate in low maintenance plant back to her office.

At the end of the day, Sam took her plant 'Jay' and smiled as she entered the elevator. Stepping inside, her eyes met the other passenger's, and her smile faltered. General Jack O'Neill looked too much like the man of her dreams...no, _in_ her dreams...for the tall woman's piece of mind. He smiled,

"Hey lady, want a lift?"

Getting a grip on herself, Carter grinned, "Yes, Sir."

The sound of high heels clicking down the corridor and Kerry's soft feminine voice calling, 'Hold the elevator' produced a reflexive response in the blonde. She pressed the button to close the elevator doors. As the compartment rose, grey-blue eyes slanted to her companion. He was silently laughing! Feigning a cough to cover an unprofessional laugh, Sam almost dropped the plant when the elevator halted. The General's face looked as perplexed as she felt. The phone rang, and O'Neill answered it. His gaze flickered up to where the security camera was supposed to be monitoring them and then abruptly, unnervingly, focused on her.Curtly, he uttered,

"Uh huh. _You what_? That's what we pay you the big bucks for? Okay. No problem, I'll...let her know. Yeah, I can handle the situation. Get to work now, Felger."

Taking off his jacket, the General thought twice about sitting on something so studded with medals and placed it on the floor before sitting down by it. Lips quirking, he said, "Have a seat, Colonel...we won't be going anywhere for awhile."

Deciding that the air was rather stuffy in the enclosed space, Sam took off her jacket and sat facing the other officer, leaning back against the opposite elevator wall. Meeting his eyes, she insisted, "Tell me what happened."

Scrunching his eyes closed, the man admitted,

"Felger had Control stop the elevator. It seems that you took the wrong plant. The one you have has been named _Inamorata_ by the comedians in a lab on level 18. It seems they tried to pull a prank on Felger, put a plant life- not an _alien_ that looks like a plant thankfully- that causes certain people to respond in a certain way after exposure. Unfortunately, conditions, like the one we're in right now, are the exact ones necessary for...er...you know..."

She remained calm. "Why did they stop the elevator?" Carter stared as a slight flush crept over the General's face. He looked at her squarely,

"Because, after exposure, in a few minutes the...uh...symptoms start...if they're going to, they might not, and the lab guys didn't want you to be...embarrassed. I volunteered to handle any effects of the plant."

"Is that why it's called inamorata instead of inamorato, because it only affects women?"

The flush became redder,

"Well, that's true initially, but when the woman kisses a man, it seems the...effects...spread to him and to whomever else he comes in contact with...if you know what I mean."

"Oh...so we wait and see...what happens? Are they _watching_ us? Are we _test subjects?_"

"Hell no, well _yes_, I mean, yeah, we wait and see, the symptoms take a fewminutes to...manifest...but no they aren't watching, they turned off the camera for...privacy...and we're _nobody's_ test subjects."

O'Neill's gaze was incredibly compelling, especially when he was leaning forward, and she was leaning forward, and those dark, dreamy eyes were seen up close and personal. Gasping at the turn of her thoughts, the Colonel drew back so sharply she rapped her head against the wall. "Ouch!"

A warm strong hand sifted through her hair, feeling for a bump.

"You okay, Carter?"

She _had_ been until the good General decided to sit beside her and touch her. Her eyes locked with his. She licked her lips. He started to look uneasy. His gaze fell to her mouth, shifted away. He cleared his throat, looked up at the ceiling panels and asked,

"Uh...feeling any symptoms?"

"Did I ever tell you that I like your hair silver?"

He looked at her skeptically. She smiled, "I do. It looks good on you...distinguished..._sexy_..."

His brown eyes darted around the space nervously before meeting her amused stare.

"Thanks"

She made a stifled sound of amusement. He smiled reluctantly and joked,

"Anything else you like?"

"Yeah, your eyes...they're like dark chocolate and make every other pair of brown look _blah_."

An arrested expression crossed his face. "Doesn't Shanahan have brown eyes?"

Sam bumped his arm playfully with hers. "Blah, blah, blah, blah blah..."

The sideways glance Jack threw her was assessing and apprehensive at the same time,

"Okay...Your pupils aren't dilated, and you're not unduly flushed or breathing heavy, but the sweet talk is definitely a symptom, Colonel."

The thought that an alien...but not _plant boy_ alien...plant was causing her to feel amorously toward Jack made her giggle. His brows rose so high she thought they might slide up into his hair and hide. She giggled harder. He tried to casually scoot away. She scooted with him. Taking a deep breath, the eyes that made her think of melted chocolate and all the fun things she could do with it looked into hers while he said firmly,

"Carter, you're not yourself. I know you might think you have certain...feelings...for me, but..."

"Since the day I met you?"

His mouth dropped open. She decided not to tell him how much she liked his lips. She confided, "That's pretty much when the feelings started...something about your smart ass, irreverent personality combined with your looks- which are mighty fine, by the way- hit me hard, and I've been denying it ever since."

"Ah, geez, Sam...what am I supposed to say to that...?"

She leaned over and whispered, "Don't say anything- just kiss me." His lips didn't move against hers- at first. He just sat; tense and uncomfortable while she made herself at ease straddling his lap and brushing her mouth against his. She loved the way his lips felt as she rubbed hers back and forth touching them. Soft and firm at the same time, even better than in her dreams... Her hands slid up his chest and into his hair. In her imagination it was always silky, but in reality it was more coarse, but...texturally stimulating. The short hairs at the base of his neck tickled, and made her grin. He groaned,

"C'mon, Carter, give an old man's heart a break, isn't that plant...whatever...fading yet?"

She felt the tension in his body...every part of it, and it gave her a thrill. She pulled his earlobe teasingly with her teeth and breathed in his ear, "C'mon, Jack, you called me Sam before, too late to keep your distance now. Don't you remember what you told me? You've been...infected...may as well enjoy it...and you know very well you're in your prime- I'm waiting for you to prove it." His face became hard, predatory, and reminded her of the way he looked before battle.

"Damn that Felger, I'm going to nail him and every other science geek to the wall for this stunt. But first, I'm going to do what _I've_ been denying I wanted for years."

His mouth met hers. It wasn't a gentle and sweet exploratory kiss. It was a deep, passionate, claiming kiss that skipped over hesitance and uncertainty and went straight for I know what I want and it's you. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a tiny voice was protesting that tongue swirling and thrusting was completely against regulations, but Sam ignored it and concentrated on how his body on top of hers lying back and stretched out felt better than she'd ever thought it would- and some of her dreams had thought it would be _incredible_. Neither noticed when the elevator began to move again or when the doors opened until a panicked voice said,

"_Mighty Aphrodite_! Turn your back, Felgar, Teal'c..."

Daniel's words froze the couple and caused Jack to lift his lips from Sam's. His eyes darted to the two men discreetly turned around before pushing himself off the body he'd been so...close...to and rising to his feet. He helped Sam up and the woman saw her friend's blue eyes flicker over their unbuttoned shirts and flushed faces. Quickly redoing buttons, she drew on her jacket and handed Jack his. He smiled at her, a warm, gentle smile that made her want to kiss him again. She leaned forward unconsciously, but was stopped by her friend saying,

"Uh, well, this was..._not_ what we expected to see."

Felgar's snort was clearly heard. So was Teal'c's '_Indeed_'. Continuing, after a wasted glare at the other men's backs, Daniel informed the pair,

"There seems to have been a little..._mistake_... Chloe took the _Inamorata_ plant back up to the lab for more testing, and her _bonehead_ _boss_ didn't hear her, so he thought you had it, Sam, but you didn't and that plant in the elevator...is just an air plant."

O'Neill pushed past them, shoved Felgar around and grabbed the man by his lab coat lapels.

"Do you mean to tell me that you put us through that for nothing?"

Face bitter, the civilian replied,

"What do you mean 'put us through that'? It looked like you were having a good time to me, General. Don't blame me for what you let yourself do- the power of suggestion only goes so far."

Carter started backing away. The men were arguing and she just wanted to escape. She turned and ran. Faintly, she heard Jack yell, 'Sam' but she only ran faster. She nodded politely to the guards, and drove home in a daze. The Colonel was thankful that traffic was light and she could drive home on automatic pilot and not kill herself. Her cell phone rang. She answered, "Yes". After a pause, the General's voice asked,

"Did you make it home okay?"

"Yes"

"Are you okay about what happened?"

Her lips began to tremble. "No"

Silence greeted her response. Finally, he said quietly,

"Good. Think about what Felgar said..._Sam_...goodnight."

She stayed with the phone to her ear long after the call ended. Three times afterwards, the house and cell phone rang and she let the answering machine pick up the message. Pete was calling, wanting to tell his fiancée goodnight. Huddled in a chair under an old afghan made by her grandmother, Sam sat for hours, thinking about what Felgar had said and wondering what the hell she was going to do about it.

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A/N: I bet you thought I'd only put the romance in her dreams, didn't you? Well, if you'd read any of my other fics (hint, hint, go read- lol) you'd know better, cheeky reader! Let me know if you'd like to see another chapter. Ideas are whirling like mad, but they need a little encouragement to- manifest- hehheh. So Review, brilliant reader! 


	4. Picking at Threads

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG1 and the only right I have is to use my imagination to create a story where things turn out the way I think they should. lol

* * *

Picking at Threads 

The General saluted the sentries and passed through the tunnel she whimsically referred to as the Gate leading to her real life. The life where she was a mom, and not an Air Force officer, with a husband and kids who were waiting for her to come home and celebrate Thanksgiving with them. Fall was one of her favorite seasons. The trees turning the mountains into an ever changing kaleidoscope of red, orange, gold and green...raking and jumping into falling leaves, the crisp air, the feeling of thankfulness for each blessing in life. Turning into her neighborhood that only now was finally losing that 'new subdivision' look of short trees and patchy lawns, Sam waved at one of her neighbors. The man gave her a sour look and stomped into his house. Pulling into her drive, the blonde knew better than to try and park in the garage. The boys had decided to form a garage band, so of course they had to play in the garage. Maybe she should have the space sound-proofed for Christmas. Perhaps then the self-appointed neighborhood committee for noise pollution control wouldn't call the cops again. Not that the irate phone calls ever did any good. Her boys had 'connections' on the police force that ensured they never got in trouble for anything they did- and they did _a lot_.

Opening her car door and lifting out her briefcase and jacket, the tall woman stood a moment on the three-car driveway and gazed at the two-story house. The large modern house was spacious and comfortable, and lacking in all the little details that made her former house a home. Cheering herself up with the thought that the mortgage was affordable, her blue-grey gaze narrowed as she walked toward the front door. Had the boys used her door wreath as a Frisbee again? She and Chloe had attended a craft fair last month where the wreath had caught her eye. Unfortunately, it regularly caught the boys' eyes too. Staring at the circle of smashed pinecones and half-attached leaves currently giving her home _Adams Family_ charm, the woman sighed and opened the door.

Breathing deeply and resisting the urge to step back outside, get in the car and drive to Daniel's house, where people lived like humans instead of pigs, Sam ignored the mess to the right, where a partially built- or was it partially demolished- Lego whatever currently lay with zillions of other tiny scattered blocks in the living room. She also overlooked the disturbing disaster to the left in the dining room where the numerous battalions of army men who had apparently captured a Barbie from one of their friend's sisters were currently waging war to see who would win the 'woman' hanging from the chandelier by her feet. Not that she had any sympathy for a doll whose measurements made growing up without breast implants hard on self-esteem, but really- did the plastic bimbo have to be naked?

Shaking her head, the long-suffering blonde kicked a row of inline skates out of her way to make a path she could navigate. Noticing a few new chips in the tiled floor, she made a mental note to ask Teal'c if he thought Command would let her use the indestructible material they'd just discovered on that new planet...

**"Mom, Mom, save me, save me!"**

It sounded like a herd of elephants was barreling downstairs, but it was only her two oldest boys. Parker was escaping his twin Peter's wrath. Her husband had insisted his favorite comic book hero's name be given to their first set of twins, and loopy with medication, she'd agreed. How she'd regretted it since. The nine and a half year olds were blonde-haired, brown-eyed disturbances of the peace, but she loved them. _She did_. Even when one of her 'darlings' tried to kick his brother who dodged behind her and hit her shin instead of his intended target's.

"Ow! Cease and desist this moment Airmen!" The two froze, knowing that when mom called them by lowly, KP duty designation, they were in for it. Immediately, Peter flashed the charming grin inherited from his father.

"Geez, I'm sorry mom, did I kick you? I didn't mean to. It's Parker's fault, really...he called me 'P... Breath' again!"

Closing her eyes briefly at the use of a word she would've had a bar of soap placed in her mouth for using when she was a child, Samantha gritted, "Parker?" Big brown eyes looked as innocent as a fawn. Too bad for him she knew he was more like a Furling.

"But mom, Dad laughed really hard when I said it earlier, while we were watching E.T. together. He said it was funny."

Not for the first time, the General wondered if her husband was the poster boy for arrested development. Bending down, she looked into Parker's eyes and said seriously, "It's not funny and name-calling is against regulations in this household, mister. You get KP for the next week, and your brother gets to take out the trash three nights in a row for resorting to violence to resolve conflict." The front door banged open, and along with a cold gust of air, two more boys burst into the house.

"Mom, mom, we didn't do it, nobody saw us, they can't prove it!"

Sending Peter and Parker upstairs to clean their rooms, Sam ignored the 'Yeah, right' and 'Like that'll happen' her sullen sons muttered on the way and focused on the boys removing their coats and gloves and casually throwing them onto the floor. When people in stores, or emergency rooms commented on her two sets of twins, all she said in return was 'fertility drugs'. The pair watching her like hawks for signs that she knew what they'd been up to gave each other a lightning glance, communicated non-verbally in a way that was almost frightening, and then Patrick, the spokesman said,

"I guess nobody called, huh. Wow." Smiling widely at his brother, the sandy-blonde headed eight year old gloated, "I told you the science teacher wouldn't be able to trace our explosion through DNA. Dad says CSI is bull-malarkey, and the crime guys he works with can't tell their ass from...yeah, it's all good."

Nodding in satisfaction, the other brother replied, "Tight"

Paul was the quieter twin, and his mother remembered how relieved she'd been when he'd finally stopped telling people who asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, 'I can't decide. I'll either be an evil scientist or a criminal mastermind.' Thankfully, strangers had always thought the little cutie was joking. Now, she frowned repressively and demanded, "What have you two been up to?"

Patrick gave her a wide-eyed, 'What do you mean?' look before realizing his mother wasn't buying it and asked concernedly,

"Did Mr. Wilson from down the street call?"

She shook her head. His face brightened,

"How about Mrs. Cravitz the next block over?"

Feeling old and tired, Sam said tonelessly, "No"

"Ms. Crabapple from school? The Principle? The Fire Chief? The F.B.I.?"

Incredulously, she asked after shaking her head to every query, "Should I be expecting a call from all those people?"

Another quick glance was exchanged between the twins. As one, they shook their heads and replied,

"No. We were just joking with you mom."

Patrick looked meaningfully at Paul and said,

"Let's go clean our room, and let our tired mother have some time to rest after a hard day's work."

Somehow, the hugs and kisses the twins gave her before heading upstairs didn't give her a warm, fuzzy feeling. Neither did the shouts of hysterical laughter heard from Parker's room where the twins had obviously headed to share their misadventures. Sadly grateful that the F.B.I wasn't pounding on her door, Sam's slumped into the kitchen and stopped in her tracks. On the center island was a Butterball Turkey. She'd asked her husband to get her a fresh one. Walking over, she tapped the bird- it was frozen solid. Next to the turkey was an array of cans. Green beans, Yams, corn, jellied cranberry sauce, and turkey gravy. Finally, a ten pound bag of Idaho potatoes slumped over a can of beets.

Resignedly trudging over to the refrigerator, she looked into the freezer. Sure enough, three frozen pies were inside. She looked closer. They weren't even Mrs. Smith's. Shutting the freezer door, Sam reached into the refrigerator for a Guinness. There weren't any. Settling for a can of Diet Coke, the woman reached into a cabinet for acetaminophen. The bottle was empty. Holding her cold can in a grip that bent the aluminum, the blonde stepped into the den. The lights were off; she supposed to make the big screen TV showing a college football game more...something.

Flipping on light, she almost turned it back off. The boys had made quite a disaster area out of the room, and she included the man lounging in the recliner drinking the last of her beer as one of the boys- the biggest and the messiest. Two half-eaten bags of chips and an empty jar of nacho cheese littered the table beside him. Beer cans were stacked into a column. Noticing that his wife was staring at him, Pete smiled happily and saluted her with the Guinness bottle,

"Hey General, you're home! Ready to cook Thanksgiving Dinner? Mark, his little woman and the kids are coming tomorrow- I told him don't think about inconvenience, he's family for crying out loud, drive over and stay a few days. He said sure thing, even though he knows you cook on weekends and holidays. That's brotherly love, huh?"

The Shanahan smile hadn't changed in ten years...neither had the puppy-dog eyes. His hair was thinner, and he'd gained weight, especially in the gut, but overall, her husband was exactly the same guy he'd been when he'd promised to love her as long as they both shall live. For better or for _worse_. How many times had she asked Pete to help, until she realized that he wanted her to be superwoman and gave in to trying to do it all?

She had an industrial maid service come in twice a week to maintain sanitary conditions. A lawn service took care of the yard. A catering company froze nutritious entrees for them weekly. When the boys were little, she had a never-ending series of Nannies and day-care providers help with childcare. All so her husband could be a traditional guy who went to work and came home knowing he could lie on the sofa or sit in his chair with a beer in one hand and a remote in the other. Made uneasy by her continued silence, Pete said sheepishly,

"You noticed I forgot your shopping list, didn't you? I think I did pretty good, considering the boys had a fight in the produce aisle and knocked over a stand of oranges- and a couple of senior citizens. We'll have to cross that store off our list too- the kids are banned for life. The little hooligans."

Numbly, she nodded. Speaking almost rhetorically, she said dully, "If you order pizza, I can run over to the grocery store, fight the shoppers for the last fresh vegetables and pray there's still a bag of cranberries, not to mention the other things on the list I left taped to the refrigerator and then come home and start cooking, in between cleaning the house. I'll have to stay up all night, but I can do it."

Immersed in the game once more, Pete mumbled,

"Yeah, sounds great honey...What? Are you _blind_ ref? That's the dumbest call I ever saw!"

Backing away, Sam absently rubbed her right eye- she should probably see a doctor about that constant tic- and mechanically took down the list from the refrigerator. Not bothering to change...at holidays shoppers were less hateful to military who took the last carton of Cool Whip...maybe because of patriotism or the fact that she knew how to use a firearm... She nudged the jackets out of her way so she could open the front door. Outside, she looked up at the night sky and rubbed her arms. It was cold, but strangely she didn't mind. Climbing into her Volvo and backing out of the drive, Samantha noticed several neighbors gathered on the lawn next door. They seemed to be pointing at her house. Glancing at the upstairs windows, she saw four naked butts pressed against the glass. _Charming_... Pressing down on the accelerator, the General left her _happy family_ far behind.

Once on the highway, the Volvo sped along, and in the dreaming mind of Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, it seemed natural that the darkness lightened and turned into the soft sunlight of an autumn afternoon. Short blonde hair shook as Sam wondered why that poor woman on the call in radio program put up with four bratty boys and a chauvinistic slob of a husband. Feeling sorry for the poor woman, she turned the radio station and found a song that made her smile. Shania Twain's _Always..._

Although she wasn't much of a singer, the General sang along, uncaring that teens in a passing V W bug pointed and snickered. Unlike the pitiable creature who'd called Dr. Laura for advice on how to handle her couch-potato husband and two sets of Bart Simpson-esque twins, she actually looked _forward_ to coming home to her family. Her husband was supportive and loving, and just thinking about him made her feel all warm and tingly. Sighing happily, Sam thought about spending tomorrow with their friends and their friends' families. Her husband was like a little boy in his anticipation of the upcoming flag football game. She'd have to remember to tell him not to gloat when his team won, as they did every year. Daniel couldn't help being less athletic, and one holiday he'd refuse to play, and then her husband would wish he'd been a better sport. Signaling, she slowed and turned onto her exit, traveling the familiar roads that led to those she loved. Her neighbors waved and smiled as she passed. Mr. Wilson gestured for her to stop, so she pulled over and rolled down the window. He handed her a tin and said with a smile,

"The boys helped me rake some leaves this afternoon. My wife wanted to thank them with some of her home-made fudge. Tell that husband of yours not to eat it all."

Thanking the man and wishing him a Happy Thanksgiving, Samantha waved and set the tin onto the passenger seat. A bit further down the street, she slowed. The twins were playing street hockey in the driveway, so she parked in front of the brick and log home and stepped out of the Volvo they'd traded her old one for when she and her husband learned they were pregnant. Watching two identical nine and a half year olds pass the puck in Colorado Avalanche jerseys, she grinned. They noticed her and stopped celebrating a goal to skate over.

"Hey mom! Whatcha got...fudge..._Sweet_!"

Accepting Jeff and Jason's hugs and sweaty kisses, Sam handed over the fudge so they could skate back to their friends and be greeted with an expression she'd needed Daniel to translate,

"Dude! _Tight_!"

Ruefully smiling over the slang that had replaced 'Awesome' in kid vocabulary, she walked to the front door and halted. Her wreath she'd found with Chloe at the elementary school craft fair looked...different. Some of the pinecones were glued in new places, and leaves that lookedsupiciously like those from their Maple in the backyard were now attached in substitution of the silk ones that had formerly graced the decoration. The sound of a youthful throat being cleared made her swing around. Jason's shaggy blonde head looked down before his brown eyes entreated as he confessed,

"I accidentally knocked that down earlier when we were playing and Dad helped us fix it. Does it look okay?"

She ruffled the hair her husband always wanted to cut and wiped a bit of chocolate off the corner of his mouth before saying, "You've improved it." A wide white grin was her reward.

"Cool"

She mock frowned, "Hey, I thought the word was 'tight'?"

Boyish laughter rang out as he skated back down the walkway,

"Cool will always be _cool_, mom!"

Opening the front door, the woman said to herself, "Cool". The house smelled so good her stomach rumbled. She hoped the pumpkin scent wasn't from one of those candles Teal'c's wife gave her last time the couples went out for dinner. Following her nose through the house that showed signs of recent tidying, Sam entered the kitchen and gazed in appreciation at the pies lined up on the counter.

"Dad and I made the pumpkin ones, but the others are Mrs. Smith's. He said they were almost as good as homemade and a whole lot less pain in the...butt."

Turning, she met the blue eyes of her daughter Grace. Hugging the girl tightly, Sam tried not to get all misty as she stroked her daughter's long brown hair. They'd been content with their boys, but when she'd started feeling queasy in the mornings eight years ago, her heart had longed for the new baby to be a girl. Grace meant unmerited favor, and that's what her daughter was, a blessing she could never earn, but was so thankful to have been given.

"Geez, Louise mom, are you getting all sappy again? Dad says I'm not allowed to be girly until I'm thirty, and even then, he's gonna have to approve my dates."

Chuckling, Sam stepped back and playfully tugged Grace's ponytail, "Oh really. Well, I predict you'll like boys a lot sooner than age thirty young lady."

Backing away, the girl who looked a lot like her mother grinned like her father, "I like a boy now. He's in my class at school. His name's Joe. I like him so much I borrowed the twins' GI Joe and made him marry Barbie."

Disturbed more than she wanted to admit by the thought of her seven year old baby girl liking a boy, the woman asked, "What did your brothers say about that?"

Opening the refrigerator and taking out a juice box- 100 per centjuice of course- Grace replied,

"They said, 'Tight. Now Cobra can kidnap her to force Joe to spill secrets and he can rescue her...but not before they cut off her hair'. " Scowling as if she'd just realized that her brothers were planning on hacking off Perfect Princess Barbie's hair, the girl headed for the back door- probably to demand Jeff and Jason do no such thing.

"Alone at last"

Strong arms encircled her waist and pulled her back against a chest that even after ten years of marriage looked mighty fine. Tilting her head to look into the brown eyes he'd passed on to his boys, she teased, "Isn't this against regulations?"

A boyish grin lit the rugged face that looked so handsome with silver hair. The former General turned Civilian Head of Stargate Command and now part-time Civilian Consultant and full time Mr. Mom turned her gently into his embrace and said with a roguish lifting of eyebrows,

"Not anymore"

Kissing Jack was the best part of coming home. The lips she'd been free to kiss for over a decade still gave her the same thrill they had that time in an elevator. In fact, if she and her husband were ever alone in an elevator, he insisted on reliving the memory- although not the lying on the floor with unbuttoned shirts part...except for that one time... Pressing Jack against the counter as she moved closer and deepened the kiss, Sam wondered if they had time for a 'nap' before dinner. Clever fingers tugged her shirt out of her trousers and started sliding up her back. A massage would feel so good right now- if only she could decide whether to give or receive one. The decision was taken out of their hands by youthful voices saying,

"For crying out loud, will you stop with the kissing stuff?"

"_PDA_, mom and dad, you told us to say PDA when we wanted you to cut it out."

"Do you think Joe would like me to kiss him?"

Sam tried not to laugh as Jeff, Jason, and Grace made their comments. Ignoring the first two, her husband focused on the third.

"Joe? Who's Joe, princess? Tell your dad that you're talking about a twelve-inch plastic guy and give his old heart a break, please."

Solemnly shaking her head, Grace said, "Joe's my boyfriend at school." Smiling angelically at her open-mouthed father, she consoled, "I still love you best, though, daddy."

The boys reached into the fridge to grab bottles of water before heading back outside. Jack silently watched the three children file out of the kitchen. Turning to his wife, he demanded,

"Did you know about this?"

She held up her hands in a gesture of peace, "Just found out today. Don't worry, it's just a phase."

"Yeah, right. Next thing we know Grace'll have hormone-driven goobers calling her at all hours and trying to get her to go _study_ in the basement. I'm not ready for that."

Deciding not to mention the fact that they'd soon have two hormone-driven 'goobers' of their own luring girls down to the basement to _study_, Sam asked, "Did you get the shopping done?"

Shooting her a 'I know you're distracting me, but I'll allow it 'cause I'll see you naked later' look, the retired General O'Neill said huffily,

"Of course I did. I've been doing it for ten years, General O'Neill, ma'am. Just 'cause I'm a guy, doesn't mean I can't cook and shop and clean almost as well as you- I even made my own cranberry sauce. It tells you how on the back of the bag. I can follow directions, you know."

She lifted a blonde brow. He qualified with a wicked grin,

"When I feel like it, and I agree with them, otherwise I take matters into my own hands, just like in the old days, when you were a cute little Colonel, and I seduced you into fraternization."

She looked steadily at him. Jack grinned wolfishly,

"Alright, fine. When we seduced each other into fraternization...ya gotta admit Sam...sometimes rules are meant to be broken, 'cause some things are meant to be. " His voice lowered, "We were meant to be, and nothing and no one was gonna keep us apart."

Moving close enough to feel the entire length of his lean body against hers, she smiled invitingly, "How about breaking a house rule against Public Displays of Affection?"

Bending his head to hers, Jack whispered, "There's just something about a woman in uniform. The only thing better is you out of uniform. How about we rest up for dinner? I got some meatballs from the deli, planned on throwing a jar of spaghetti sauce onto them later. I figure we have approximately one point five hours before our kids pound on the door demanding chow."

In answer, Sam backed away unbuttoning her shirt. She spun around and ran for the bedroom. Inside the room, she tossed the shirt aside while Jack locked the door. She turned on the radio and smiled as Shania's voice sang, _You're Still the One._

Jack pulled his tee shirt over his head and laughed,

"Are you gonna make me go two-stepping again? I don't think I impressed the guys at the Red Rooster last time."

She giggled in a way only her husband ever heard and sang along as she took off her shoes, socks, and undid her belt,

"You're still the one I love, Sam."

Lying on the bed with Jack's body covering hers and his face looking down at her while he told her he loved her was one thing she'd never get tired of and made every fishing vacation in Minnesota worthwhile. Tenderly, she whispered back, "I love you too, Jack, so much."

A glint appeared in chocolate brown eyes,

"Care to prove it?"

She nodded and lifted her mouth to meet his. Sam rolled Jack over and...

* * *

"Ouch!" 

Rubbing her head that had hit the floor when she'd rolled off the bed, Carter sat up and groggily looked at her bedside clock. Her jaw dropped. It was 10 AM! _Inconceivable!_ Grimacing at herself for sounding like a character out of that _Princess Bride_ movie Cassie had sent with the instructions to 'watch and learn what True Love is', the blonde gradually moved from her spot on the floor to the shower, where she turned the spray as warm as she could stand it and stood letting the water work the stiffness out of her body. She had sat in her chair wrapped in an afghan for hours, until she was too tired to think anymore and went to bed. Being her, she'd of course had dreams that would drive weaker women around the bend trying to figure out what the subconscious was telling them. She _knew_, after that episode in the elevator what her brain was trying to say, she just didn't know what to do about it.

Lethargically dressing in a sweat suit and slipper socks, she went into the kitchen to try and decide what she felt like forcing herself to eat for breakfast. The phone rang, and she answered, "Carter". Daniel replied,

"Uh...Good morning, Sam...you okay?"

Glancing down at the box of Fruit Loops she'd been about to open, the blonde said dryly, "That's up for debate."

"Well...I'm always good for that, how about I bring you a bagel and talk about...things?"

Realizing that the stubborn scientist would hound her until she gave in, she said ungraciously, "Fine. Come over, I'll start a pot of coffee." He told her,

"No, don't bother, I bought coffee too...in fact...I'm here now...sitting in my car in your driveway."

She heard the sound of a door opening and shutting. Sam sighed heavily, "I'll be right there." and hung up the phone. Daniel's handsome face looked boyishly sheepish this morning. She couldn't be mad at him for wanting to talk to a friend, so she waved him inside and took the coffee he offered. At least it was Starbucks and not some dreck picked up at a convenience store. Taking a fortifying drink of caffeine, she asked as they sat together at her small kitchen table, "So, what _exactly_ brings you here this morning, Daniel?" His blue eyes looked at her earnestly,

"I thought I'd tell you what I've found out about the Power of Suggestion. Remember Felger telling Jack, 'The Power of Suggestion only goes so far'? Well, I wondered about that so I did some research last night and found out some very pertinent information."

Aw, that was sweet. Sad too...he didn't have _better_ things to do on a Friday night than surf the Internet? Not that she'd done anything more exciting. Huddling in an afghan. At least Daniel had been productive. She'd just given herself some crazy dreams. She tuned back into his explanation.

"The most common use of the Power of Suggestion is hypnosis. Perhaps you've seen this, but apparently once hypnotized, athletes told they are stronger lift more weight, or conversely, strong men are unable to lift pencils when told they are weak. The power of the mind is an amazing thing. "

She nodded, although this lecture was something she didn't want to hear. Blue eyes electric with academic enthusiasm gleamed as the man ran a hand through his brown hair and continued,

"Some describe the Power of Suggestion as the Will becoming self actualized in the Subconscious Mind, which leads to a manifestation- sometimes in actions but most commonly in dreams, which are a disguised order from the Objective Mind to the Subconscious. When the Objective Consciousness is at rest, the Subconscious is susceptible to the suggestion of dreams." Leaning forward in excitement, he shared, "The Ancient Greeks called it "sleep healing", when a dreamer enters an altered state of consciousness to increase the intensity of awareness of a goal beyond relaxation."

She tried to smile appreciatively, although he was pretty much telling her in big words what she already knew. His face fell,

"I didn't help you at all, did I?"

Carter smiled for real this time. "You help by being my friend, Daniel. What kind of bagels did you bring me?" He grinned and unpacked the bag. Wow. One of every kind, it seemed. Choosing a cinnamon raisin bagel, she spread cream cheese over it and took a bite. She'd never sneer when Cassie claimed to need food for self-medication again. Blood sugar and mood rising to acceptable levels, Sam asked about Daniel's current prospects, both in the lab and in his romantic life. Work was fine, but romance-wise, he was in a slump. Not that he was complaining. He'd rather have no love-life than one as messed up as... A blonde eyebrow rose and made his unthinking comment halt in its blunt tracks. He tried to backpedal.

"Heh, heh, no offense Sam, but...what are you going to _do_? I don't want to embarrass you, but what we saw in the elevator yesterday was pretty...intense... What I've been trying to explain is that the Power of Suggestion is only as powerful as **you** make it. If your will wants something, it finds a way to have it, so to speak."

She lifted a hand to her face, trying not to blush. This was so not what she wanted to talk about. Sam tried to prevaricate, "I'll certainly think about it, Daniel. Thanks for the food and the information. I'm sure by the time I see the General again everything will be back to normal."

"By tonight?"

Blue-grey eyes widened. Oh holy hanna, she'd forgotten all about the dinner party she'd agreed to host when they'd all been at Perfect Princess Barbie's..._Kerry's_...house. Her friend said gently,

"You forgot about it, right? You don't have to have everyone over. I can call and say you're sick, and cancel for you."

Sam reached for Daniel's hand and squeezed it. He was the best. She shook her head, "No, I want to get this over with. My cleaning service will be here at noon, and I can run over to the upscale grocer and get a great big fresh salad along with fruit and the ingredients for a soufflé. Ms. Johnson said she'd bring desert, so if you bring the wine, we're all set."

"You don't think the whole thing will be...awkward...?"

Decisively, she answered, "Of course not. We're all mature adults. You and Teal'c aren't going to say anything and neither will the General or I. We'll all just have dinner and some civil conversation and..._what_?"

Too innocent blue eyes flashed a 'Nothing' look before realizing she wouldn't let him off and admitting,

"It sounds like a recipe for disaster."

Privately agreeing, she waved him out the door with a grumpy, "Why don't you go online and use a matchmaking service to find a date?" Good naturedly, Daniel said, 'Ha, Ha, keep your day job, Colonel...see you later."

Leaning against the closed door, Sam closed her eyes and clutched her head with both hands. Was she _insane_? Assuring Daniel that the dinner party would be no problem when she didn't know how she was going to handle being in the same room as Jack? Determined to give her Objective Conscious Will Whatever a direct order not to freak out tonight and be in control of her emotions and actions at all times, she marched back to her room to get out of the sweats and get ready for the day.

"Good evening Samantha, how lovely your home is!"

Avoiding Jack's gaze...hard to call the man General when she'd dreamed about being married to him...and returning the other woman's greeting and modestly accepting the praise with a 'Thank You', Carter showed Kerry to the second bedroom where the other woman placed her wool coat and Jack's black leather jacket on the bed and put her purse beside them. The blonde was thankful she'd dressed up in a beaded black cashmere sweater and black trousers. Ms. Johnson wore a winter white pantsuit with a pink blouse that reminded Sam of cotton candy. The kind that made a sticky mess...

Inside her cozy living room, Daniel and Teal'c were sitting on the sofa telling Jack about something that happened at work. The General was leaning against the fireplace mantel wearing the silky designer black tee she'd gotten him last birthday and black trousers...oh heavens, they matched...like an old married couple...maybe no one would notice. The men on the sofa looked from her to the General, and diplomatically said not a single word about how anyone was dressed. Kerry gestured to a couple of items on a side table and said,

"Jack, could you help me bring these into the kitchen?"

Sam could almost smell magnolia blossoms, the woman was so 'little ol' me'. The metal canister and basket didn't look heavy, there was no reason two able-bodied women couldn't tote them a few yards into another room. As she reached for the canister, warm fingers brushed hers, causing hers to shake and pull back. Looking into Jack's eyes as he picked the item up proved to be a mistake. His dark gaze searched her face for something. His lips curved slightly as he said,

"I'm happy to help, in any way."

A knock on the door made her step forward seem not so...impulsive. She hadn't been about to kiss Jack, she'd just wanted to answer the door! Smirking, the General showed Ms. Johnson where the kitchen was while the Colonel took a deep breath and let Pete inside. He was dressed in a long sleeved blue shirt with his favorite Dockers pants and shoes. Taking off his khaki blazer, Pete pressed a kiss to her mouth which was broken by her stepping back quickly to say, "Pete, you remember Teal'c and Daniel..."

Intercepting a speaking glance between her two friends, Sam wondered why Daniel didn't just blurt, 'Did you see her back away like he had bad breath?' and Teal'c reply, 'Indeed'! Thankfully Pete was oblivious to undercurrents and grinned his Shanahan smile as the men rose and extended their hands to be shaken in what Teal'c had once called a 'male greeting ritual peculiar to this planet'. The other couple returned from the kitchen, and Kerry and Pete began an animated conversation about something so trivial the others stared in fascinated amazement. After the two had run out of things to say, and Sam's head started to ache from smiling and nodding, Pete asked,

"Is it time to eat, honey? I'm starving! All I had today was a donut, a hotdog and a gallon of coffee."

Refusing to meet any other man's stare because, yes, she was _well_ aware that her fiancée was a walking cop stereotype, Sam was about to reply when Kerry interjected,

"Whatever you're baking in the oven looked good when I took a peek earlier...!"

Daniel's jaw dropped,

"But, Sam...didn't you tell me you made a cheese soufflé?"

Yes, she had. Ignoring the other woman's apology for her 'accident', Carter strode into the kitchen and opened the oven to contemplate the fallen soufflé. Squaring her shoulders, the blonde took it out and served it without any comment. Rounded out with the salad, a selection of fruit, and rolls Ms. Johnson complimented as 'almost as good as home-made', the meal wasn't the worst she'd ever served.

Kerry enthralled Pete with tales of all the dishes she loved to make, from scratch, and the three other men talked about the weather and sports. Teal'c had become interested in hockey and gave the stats for the Vancouver Canucks..._all_ the stats. What a memory he had. Sam spent the time during dinner picking at her food and alternately staring across the table at Jack- remembering the things he'd done to her with those lips and trying not to look at him, to pretend he was just a superior officer, instead of a superior lover. She meant kisser. She refused to think about either, actually, and tried to smile as if interested in Pete's detective story that she'd heard several times before.

Ms. Johnson insisted on helping clear the dishes and insisted the men could 'go talk' while the 'girls' finished cleaning up before dessert. Pete grinned and led the way back to the living room, where he turned on the TV to some ball game or other. Faint sounds of cheering drifted to the dining room. The General lingered to ask if he could help, but when Kerry shooed him out, he went, after smiling wryly at Sam. The two women worked in not-so-companionable silence to place dishes in the dishwasher and wash by hand those that were delicate.

Sam would've been happy to never speak another word to the woman whose steel-magnolia personae really got on her last nerve. Kerry never did anything blatantly, it was all subtle. Subtly putting down the food, the _quaint_ little house, while subtly emphasizing how feminine and accomplished _she_ was and how in comparison Sa-_man_-tha wasn't. Now Ms. Better-than-you was bringing out brownies and home-made ice cream for dessert. How fabulous. Smiling sweetly, in the way Carter imagined Brutus did before he stuck a knife into Caesar, Kerry said,

"This has been such a wonderful evening. I want to get to know all of Jack's friends and colleagues."

"Really, why?" Had she actually asked that? Seeing Kerry's perfectly plucked brows go up in feigned surprise, Sam admitted that she had. She was stunned at the answer.

"I thought...everyone knew...Jack and I are dating now..."

Sorely tempted to retort, "Gee, Jack didn't mention that when he was playing tonsil hockey with me yesterday in the elevator." Sam instead said, "Oh? Since when?"

The other woman admitted,

"Well, since a few weeks ago. Jack wanted to keep it quiet. I didn't understand why...I mean it's not like there's anyone in the Command who'd care who he dates that I've seen, and even if you weren't engaged..."

Snapping the lid on a Tupperware container of fruit, Sam shoved it into the refrigerator with a little more force than necessary. Shutting the door firmly, she smiled every bit as saccharinely as Kerry and agreed, "Yes, regulations against fraternization really put a damper on romance don't they? Even if I _wanted_ to go have a beer with the General after work, unless it's with a group, it would be frat. If I wanted to go to dinner with him, take a walk in the park; even go fishing, just him and me, its frat."

Leaning down so her steely blue eyes were on the other's woman's level, she stated matter-of-factly, "If all _that_ is against regulations, you can just imagine how much _more_ wanting to kiss him over and over until we find ourselves waking up in tangled sheets and staying there all day would be." Kerry's wide eyes tried to figure out whether the blonde was joking or not. Sam's grim smile must have convinced her she was, because she gave a trill of laughter,

"Oh, _you_...you were _teasing _me, weren't you?"

"_Were_ you teasing her Carter?"

Her heart jolted as chills raced down her spine. O'Neill had heard her? Without looking in the direction of the man who'd entered the kitchen, the Colonel forced herself to say heartily, "Of course, Sir, would you help Ms. Johnson serve dessert? I need to...powder my nose." Instead of 'powdering her nose', Sam escaped to the back porch, where her thoughts ran in a continuous loop of 'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!' The back door opened and the General stepped out.

"Hiding, Colonel?"

"No General...just wanted some...fresh air."

Blowing a visible breath and giving her a disbelieving look, O'Neill walked over to lean against the post beside her. After gazing at her pale profile, he said quietly,

"I want to kiss you over and over until we wake in tangled sheets and stay there all day, Sam...what are you going to do about it?"

She crossed her arms tightly to keep them from doing something that would bring new meaning to fraternization. Reeling with the knowledge that she could haveJack if she just reached out for him, Sam wanted to cry. Pete stepped onto the porch,

"Hey babe, you're missing the best brownies in there. What are you two talking about in the freezing cold- top secret alien stuff?"

Jack's eyes met hers and rolled. She gave a semi-hysterical burst of laughter, "Yes, top-secret stuff."

O'Neill shook his head and went inside. She followed, and was halted in the hallway between the kitchen and living room by a fiancée who demanded,

"What's going on with you Sam? You don't answer my calls, you were distant all night...don't shake your head at me...I know something is going on...the guys at work say that when your woman hasn't had sex with you in months, something's up, so tell me...**what is wrong with you?" **

Hissing at him to be quiet, Carter rushed into the living room and stopped. The appalled look on Kerry's face, uncomfortable ones on Daniel's and Teal'c's, and slightly smug expression on Jack's said it all...they'd heard Pete yelling at her. Not long afterwards, the dinner was over and Ms. Johnson was escorted home by O'Neill while Daniel and Teal'c said goodnight and left in Daniel's car. Placing the last dessert plate into the dishwasher, Sam went rigid when Pete tried to slip his arms around her. He gave her his puppy-dog look and asked,

"**_What_**? Why are you upset? Your friends didn't hear me, and if they did, they minded their own business so what's the big deal? C'mon, let's go to bed. We haven't been together in so long I've forgotten what you look like naked."

Stepping away from him, Sam whispered furiously, "You embarrassed me and yourself tonight, Pete, and if you think I feel _in the mood_ right now, you're three fries short of a happy meal, mister."

"**What?**"

She poked a finger into his chest. He stepped back. She stepped forward and poked again. "Loco, crazy, smokin' wacky tobaccy, bonkers, nutso, a brick short of a full load, a card short of a full deck, _insane_...got it now?"

Offended, he threw up his hands,

"Yeah, I got it, you're fancy friends are more important than I am. Well, fine, be that way. I'll give you some space to get over your PMS or whatever the _hell_ your problem is. One of the guys is having a bachelor party tonight- I think I'll stop in and tell him _congratulations_."

If Pete expected her to say 'No, please, stop, don't go', he was disappointed. She didn't. Sam didn't even watch him walk out to his car. She just locked the door behind him and turned the porch light off. He called her from his cell phone a couple of hours later, drunk and miserable, but she didn't answer. The phone rung again...caller ID showed a name that made her pulse race. Taking a deep breath, she answered, "Hello"

"Hey Sam, you alone?"

"Hey Jack...yeah..."

How a silence could be filled with smiles, she didn't know. Maybe because she was smiling, just to hear O'Neill's voice? The sound of a voice clearing echoed, and then his voice said huskily,

"I'm glad I didn't chicken out of coming over there tonight. I heard some things that really made me think, Sam...and one of the things I'm thinkin'...is we need to talk."

"When?"

"How about now...I'm parked outside..."

Heart pounding, she breathed, "I'll be right out." Jumping off the bed, she ripped off her nightgown and dragged on a pair of jeans, a tee shirt and sweater and brushed her teeth while putting on socks and shoving her feet into the cowboy boots Cassie had sent. Firemen couldn't have been faster dressed. Grabbing her purse and keys, Carter opened the front door, locked it and ran to the dark green truck parked in the drive. O'Neill was waiting to open the passenger door. In the moonlight, his silver hair gleamed and his smile made her feel like a kid about to do a high dive. The fear, the rush of adrenaline, taking that step into the unknown in the hope that what you gained would be so much more than what you'd left behind...she took the step up into the cab. Jack held her hand as they drove off into the night.

* * *

A/N: Naughty me, making the ending such a cliffie, but I couldn't help it...Sam and Jack made me do it! lol Next chap is 'Hanging by a Thread'- bet you know why! Review and let me know how you liked the chap! Have to shout out to the brilliant people who take time to encourage- it really makes my day to read your review:-) 

**ChappaEyebrow**- Ask and ye shall receive! lol

**csl- **Wow, you're reading my other stories. Hope you weren't shocked to see Harry Potter fics: )

**froggy0319- **I do love Felger. It's those eyes of his- very mischievous! Sorry to make you wait to see what Sam does with what he says, but I promise it'll be worth the wait!

**galaxy- **Don't worry, Pete is a dead man walking- heh. He won't go down nicely, though, which will at least be fun to read about! Thanks for enjoying the humour. Are you British? I write Harry Potter fics and wish I knew more Brit spelling idiosyncrasies to add more 'colour '. lol

**GateSeeker2- **Remind me never to take you to a deli. The thought of watching you eat a 'Shanahan Special' is...let's not go there! lol! When you gonna post some more, woman? We need all the Sam/Jack fics we can get these days of reruns! heh

**Holly Mariano- **Agree totally about Jack being sexy. I'd have made the show have way more shippiness if I was writing scripts, too bad I'm not. haha.

**Kiwi4624- **How'd you like the 'shipper moments' this chap:D Next chap is definitely more S/J, although Pete's true colors will be shown too. Got to kick Shanahan when he's down- lol

**mishy-mo- **Thanks for saying I made you laugh. I can't write straight angst, even when I try, so I don't anymore. heh. I'm definitely serious about getting Sam & Jack together though: ) Hey, I'm reading your fic, you should've asked me to take a lookey-loo when you reviewed! Or are you Scots too modest? Yeah, right! lol

**Sci Fi Fan Gillian- **Thanks for reading all my writing. I hope this chap came soon enough!

**SG1-Fanfic- **Thanks so much for the reviews and the encouragement!

**shetlandlace- **Shows have to revolve around such trivial things as sci/fi plots and I get to write about the good stuff! hehheh. I'm glad your having fun with the story- makes writing even more fun for me!

**Shroedinger- **How nice you reviewed all three chaps as you read! I appreciate the thought and the input! Aren't you glad Sam's finally acknowledging the signs? It's about time! lol


	5. Hanging by a Thread

Disclaimer: Sometimes life imitates art. GateSeeker2 emailed me a link to see several pics of Kerry /Jack from the Threads episode. Uncannily, my first thought was **I really hate her, I'll think of a reason later.** Heh. Not that I needa reason other than she's not Sam! ; ) The fact that she has a forehead a Klingon would envy is completely beside the point. ha. Extra-special thanks to GS2, aka Carrie, for brainstorming with me when the characters in my head were staring at each other wondering what to say. Her ficlet Why Him? and her great insight and amazing memory of chapter and verse (or season and episode,heh) when it comes to all things Stargate are truly inspirational. You da woman:D

* * *

Hanging by a Thread 

Sitting beside Jack, holding his hand while he drove the truck through the darkness, Sam smiled at the thought that this was the one scenario she'd never imagined in all the dreams she'd had about the two of them. Sometimes, she'd wondered, on the odd mission or two dozen when things got tense, when they might not make it back, what it would be like if she and O'Neill ever got around to getting real about their feelings. Would it be awkward, the silence lived with too long to be easily broken? Would there be a gush of words, like a dam cracking, water rushing to be free after being held in check? Never once had she thought that it would be like this. A quiet exhilaration, a calm expectancy, peaceful and electrifying at the same time... Feeling the warmth of his palm against hers, butterflies out performing the Blue Angels in her middle, trying not to stare, smiling every time their eyes met and held, she wanted the drive to never end, and yet was impatient to stop.

She looked down at his hand. It was masculine, capable, strong yet gentle. The long, artistic fingers were so different from the shorter, broader ones that she'd thought to entwine hers with for the rest of her life. Masculine fingers started sliding against feminine, the slight friction of skin against skin making her feel like a breathless teenager again. He caught her studying his face. The roguish smile he gave gleamed white in the dim interior of the cab. Carter knew her responding smile was wide and giddy. The truck turned off the highway onto a two-lane forest road that led to a lake. Once the truck halted at its destination, the blonde looked out at the water illuminated by the headlights and asked the man turning to meet her gaze, "Where are we?" A short bark of laughter escaped the General as he shook his head,

"I don't know, exactly. I just saw a sign that said something, something, lake and took the exit." A boyish grin flashed as he confessed, "I was a bit distracted."

The Colonel tried to keep an answering grin off her face. Weren't they supposed to be having a serious conversation? It was no use. The overwhelming happiness she felt at finally being alone with this man welled up and spilled out in a burst of amusement that made O'Neill ask with teasing incredulity,

"Did you just _giggle_?"

Lips pursed, shoulders shaking, eyes sparkling, Sam shook her head. Jack chuckled, his hand tugged hers, and she slid across the bench toward him, all traces of laughter gone. In its place was something that made her pulse race and her breath catch. She wondered if her expression mirrored his- intense with longing. The hand curving around the nape of her neck was pulling her closer, but she was already leaning, face upturned, more than eager to meet him halfway. The slide of his lips against hers was so sweet.

Kissing Jack in the elevator had been explosive, almost desperate. Now, the mouth molding her lips was like a slow burning fuse- sizzling, but taking time to enjoy the sparks. Her heart beat faster as he pulled, and she willingly shifted to straddle his lap, tilting her head as he deepened the kiss. Samantha's palms glided up his chest, slid over his shoulders, and lifted to allow her fingers to thread the silver hair that had made her finger's twitch for years. So many times, she'd wanted to touch it, smooth it, even ruffle it, but each time she'd held back. Slender fingers clenched reflexively.

She wasn't going to hold back anything, anymore. A low noise rumbled up from Jack's chest as she moved her lips, tongue and body against his. Those hands that could handle a weapon or a woman with the equally remarkable skill were stroking her hair, her back, her skin beneath her sweater. Only now did the true reason she'd been 'not in the mood' for months become glaringly obvious. She hadn't been tired, or stressed, or possessed of a low sex drive- she just hadn't been with the right man.

"Sam?"

Dark eyes searched hers as his hands lifted her sweater. Fluttery as a girl making out at lovers' lane, the woman bit her lip and nodded. Shivering as his warm, gentle fingers spread across her abdomen and stroked upward, Sam reached out and tugged _his_ tee. Jack's smile brought new meaning to the phrase 'naughty and nice'. After admiring the lean torso being uncovered, Carter did her best to melt his insides the way he was liquefying hers. If ragged breaths and groans were any indication, she was doing a fine job.

Windows fogged as the couple's slow burn ignited into passion. Pressed down upon the bench with O'Neill's body warming hers, nothing mattered to the woman but being in this man's arms, and she wanted to stay entwined forever. Jack drew his lips from her mouth to brush across her cheek, and down her arched throat. His touch felt so good a flash of light exploded behind Samantha's eyelids. The light wavered as a tapping sound echoed against the driver's side window.

"_For cryin' out loud!_"

Sitting up with an exclamation of frustration, Jack hunted around for his tee- black fabric was hard to spot using the dim light from the dashboard- while she scrambled to shimmy back into her tee and sweater. The Colonel covered her face as the rapping flashlight reverberated through the glass again. Silver hair stuck up in unruly spikes as the General lowered the window after a chagrined look at his companion.

"Uh, good evening officer..."

Peeking through her fingers like a teen busted for necking at a drive-in, Sam got a good look at the officer informing the sheepish man beside her that the lake wasn't open to the public after dusk. Her stomach dropped. It was the tall policeman she'd seen at the barbeque at Pete's buddy's house- the one who was married to the cousin of Pete's ex-wife! She turned her face away as the officer accepted the identification given while Jack explained that they'd needed to talk, and didn't realize, and of course they'd leave at once. Another man's voice called out,

"Hey Jim, you need any help?"

"Nah, Matt, it's all good. Seems..._General O'Neill_...here and the Mrs. apparently got a little carried away making out...er..._up._ We're happy to support the military, General, so if you could just back up and drive out, you and the Mrs. can go make up somewhere private, you copy?"

"Roger. Thanks, Officer..."

Silence reigned while they backtracked to the highway. After she'd recovered from the shock and the narrow escape from recognition, Sam admitted, "I've seen that cop before. At a BBQ with Pete...that's why I was acting like a seventeen year old..."

"I did wonder if you were going to slide down to the floorboard."

They shared a smile. He patted the seat beside him,

"Come here"

Warm against his side with his arm around her shoulders, the blonde tilted her head sideways to ask quietly, "Weren't we going to have a talk before..."

"Before I couldn't keep my hands off you?"

Allowing her hand to rest on a firm, strong thigh, Carter corrected, "I believe that was mutual, O'Neill." His face creased into a smug smile. She could hear the satisfaction in his voice when he said,

"I'm really glad you took off that ring, Sam."

She followed his gaze to her hand, which showed a faint, pale line where a ring had once been. She hadn't worn it long enough to leave more of an impression. Kind of like Pete...knowing she'd never wear his ring again didn't have much impact on her heart. She felt relieved...happy...free to be with the man that she really...

"Want to stop at that diner for a cup of coffee?"

A small roadside cafe could be seen a little further up the road. Sam nodded, and rested her head on Jack's shoulder as he pulled into the graveled parking lot. Only a couple of other trucks occupied spaces at this time of night. Opening his door, the rangy man stepped out and asked her humorously,

"Would you like to scoot out my side or should I run around the truck and open your door? I want to do things right."

She chuckled and swung her legs to scoot toward him, "I'm going your way, O'Neill."

Butterflies began swooping in her stomach again as his lips curved,

"That's the second best thing I've heard in a long time, Carter."

Walking toward the entrance with his arm around her waist, she teased, "What's the first best thing?"

Jack stopped at the door and grinned,

"That you wanted to kiss me over and over until we woke in tangled sheets and stayed there all day."

Blushing, she ducked into the diner as the General held the door before following her inside. The two patrons looked up curiously at the sound of the bell jangling when they entered. A waitress with upswept brown hair and an old-fashioned pink uniform with a cardigan over it glanced away from her customers at the counter and smiled,

"Seat yourselves; I'll be over with a menu shortly."

"No need. We'd just like coffee, please."

Nodding agreeably at O'Neill's request, the woman went back to her conversation with a pair of burly men in a ball caps and flannel shirts. Sliding into a back booth away from the trio at the counter, Sam was glad Jack sat beside her, and not just because she could hold his hand easier. She'd been at his side through so many missions; it just seemed more natural, more comfortable. Their eyes locked and held. Here they were...

"Here ya go! Two coffees...just made a fresh pot for the boys over there...let me know if I can get you a piece of pie or anything to go with it."

Jack thanked 'Mel', offered Sam the cream and sugar, and then played with his spoon. He looked so much like their son in her dream, Jason, with his gaze ricocheting off hers and lips twisting like he was trying to get his courage up to confess something he didn't know how she'd react to, that she smiled. Encouraged, he put down his spoon, turned to the side to face her full on, and confessed,

"That day in your office, when I asked for the report...that's not what I was going to say...I was going to ask you to go fishing...but I chickened out."

Her delicate features tightened, "Why?"

"Because I didn't think I could take hearing you say no again."

Pale pink lips turned downward, "And then I told you about Pete. Showed you the ring..." Her eyes were starting to water, "I even asked if things were different..." Placing a hand over her mouth, Sam turned to stare blindly out the window. She bet Perfect Princess Bimbo Barbie would never say such unthinking, stupid, callous things...even if she thought them. Jack lifted her hand. She smiled crookedly as he brought it to his lips. "Oh Jack, I wish I could..." His fingers stopped her apology.

"Me too, Sam..." His lips curved, "We can't go back, and maybe that's a good thing...maybe we needed to be in the place we are right now before we could..."

"Could we get our thermoses filled, Mel? And get a couple of pieces of apple pie before we head out on patrol again?"

Panicked bluish-grey eyes met deep brown. The officers from the lake were shrugging out of their uniform jackets and placing their hats on the counter beside them. The taller policeman, Jim, looked over at the couple in the corner and smiled. Jack's hand clasped hers on the seat and softly pressed her fingers in reassurance. Officer Friendly ambled over and held out a hand, greeting with amused recognition,

"_General O'Neill!_ I'm buying my partner's pie. I bet you and the Mrs. would've hightailed it home to finish that making up you got such a good start on out by the lake." The brown-haired officer nodded to Sam. He turned when the waitress called,

"Out by the lake, huh? How many have you chased away from there _this_ week, Jim?"

A good-natured smile crossed the man's long face. He winked at the pair smiling embarrassedly and returned to the counter to sit by his shorter, sandy-haired partner and the couple old enough to know better and too young to care over in the corner there...real lovers' lane, that is."

Everyone in the place had a good laugh at the "lovers'" expense. Samantha felt her cheeks heating. Jack muttered,

"Let's get out of here...go to my place."

She gratefully agreed, trying to let O'Neill's body block the policemen's view of her face. It didn't work. Officer 'Jim' frowned as she crossed his line of vision.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but...have me met before?"

Lying by omission, she replied, "No, we've never met...perhaps I remind you of someone." His dark eyes were troubled, and his partner clapped him on the back, laughing,

"The old computer brain finally fails you, Jim." Smiling at the couple edging toward the door, he explained, "My partner is famous for never forgetting a face. Don't know how the boys at work will handle hearing that his old gray matter dropped the ball this time."

Nodding and smiling, the Colonel ducked outside, hearing the dogged police officer vow before the door closed behind the General,

"I know I've seen her before, Matt...and I'll bet you a piece of pie that it won't be long before I remember exactly where..."

Sliding over to snuggle alongside Jack's warm body the moment he stepped into the cab, Sam rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and whispered, "I don't want Pete to find out about you and me from someone at work."

Turning the key and starting the engine, O'Neill backed out of the parking lot and turned the truck in the direction of his home. The warm air blowing from the vents combined with the warmth of the body at her side made Carter drowsy. Her eyes started to close.

"How _is_ Pete going to find out about you and me Sam?"

Without opening her lids, she said sleepily, "I'm going to break the engagement because I don't love him, Jack, that's all he needs to know right now. After we work things out, I don't care whether Officer Jim tells Pete he saw his ex-fiancée parking out by the lake or he reads about it in the paper. "

She felt his chest shake with repressed laughter,

"Not the Enquirer, I hope, or that Lone Gunman conspiracy rag that claims the military is secretly making treaties with aliens."

"Well, we _are_ making treaties with aliens...even if we're not negotiating to send women to Mars and men to Venus." After she stopped giggling over the mental picture, Sam's eyes snapped open. She had a disquieting thought. How did Jack really feel about her? He'd admitted wanting to kiss her for years, wanting her to take off her ring, go fishing...wake up in tangled sheets...to talk... What did he want to talk about if it wasn't about what would end up as a wedding announcement in the paper? Her logical side reasoned.

_He's a man, and men don't automatically think of announcements when they hear the phrase 'in the paper'. _The emotional side countered, _Okay, fine, but if he didn't know what I meant, why didn't he just ask? _Her analytical mind demanded, _Think logically for a moment- he's a **man**_..._they don't ask for directions when they're lost...in a conversation, in a truck, or on another planet... when men have no clue where they are or how to get where they need to go, they'd rather just keep going and hope they reach their destination through sheer luck... _

Feeling strangely reassured and way less tense, Carter smiled as the truck pulled into O'Neill's driveway and he said,

"Lucy, we're home."

Opening the door and seeing her smile, he made a wry face,

"Guess Teal'c was right...I do watch too many _I Love Lucy _re-runs."

Short blonde hair shook, "No, I love that show too." Sliding off the bench to stand by Jack, she kidded as they made their way to the house, "Now if you'd said, 'June, we're home' - It would've been a different story. That pearls and high heels wearing mom on _Leave It To Beaver_ still gives me the creeps. Who could be that perfect...except maybe _Ms. Johnson_."

Entering the house behind her, the rangy General inquired,

"Why do I get the impression that you're not too fond of her?"

Sam stared in silence as Jack built a fire, the soft glow of a side table lamp softening his rugged features. Watching the wood kindle, she stood crossing her arms, before admitting, "Because I'm not...and I just realized that I'm not a very nice person, either." He stood and shook his head, but she held up a hand and continued, "I'm not. I don't like Kerry...for a lot of reasons, but the main one is because she likes _you_..."

"Maybe I hoped you'd feel that way. Seeing you react to Johnson...made me feel better than I had in a long time, Carter. Made me wonder if you were jealous of her for the same reason I was jealous of Shanahan."

Her lips twisted in an effort not to cry. He took a step forward,

"Why Pete, Sam..._why him_...?"

Exhaling a shaky breath, she said self-mockingly, "Why'd I pick an irreverent, smart-aleck Irishman? Gee...I wonder...maybe because I was lonely, and he reminded me of somebody, and my biological clock was ticking louder and louder, and he fell so hard for me, and I was so flattered, because that somebody he reminded me of didn't seem to care, and..."

"_I cared_"

His dark eyes were sincere, but she challenged, "Really? It didn't feel like it. We hardly saw each other anymore, and when we did, you treated me...you didn't tease, or give me those looks..." She turned away. It felt like she was exposing every insecurity and flaw, and it hurt.

"I'm not the one who suggested we leave it in the isolation chamber, Carter."

Pivoting sharply, she gasped, "I gave you an out, O'Neill...and you took it." He shook his head,

"Seemed more like _you_ wanted an out..."

"I never said..."

"That's right, _Colonel_...you never said...what's a guy supposed to do? Make a move he thinks is unwanted...sexually harass a female subordinate...give unsolicited advice to the woman you...you _know_ is making the worst mistake of her life...on the basis of _what_? "

Her jaw dropped, "What did you want _me_ to do _General_? Say 'I've wanted to kiss you for years and I never want to stop so how about you wreck your career so we can be together'?"

"Wreck my career? I retired _twice_ before I got this gig, Sam...why the hell would you think I'd hesitate to do it a third time?"

"In case you haven't noticed, _Jack_, I don't have a good track record with relationships outside a work environment. I was _afraid_ to take a chance because if I ruined that too...I wouldn't have _anything_."

She covered her face with her hands- didn't want him to see her cry. Strong arms wrapped around her and held tight. Dropping her hands to bury her head against his shoulder and hug him back, she whispered, "When I didn't get to see you, talk to you, go on missions like we used to, I told myself you didn't..._care_...about me like I...care about you so I might as well try and move on...with Pete. Not that it was going to work; even before Kerry came into the picture...she just...helped me see things a lot clearer, a little faster."

His voice was husky as he rested his cheek against her hair and said,

"I haven't exactly been lucky in love myself, Sam. Back in that isolation chamber, though, I wanted to take a chance...didn't you read my lips?"

She shook her head, "No...why?"

His body tensed, and suddenly, the room seemed to resonate with anticipation. A log in the fireplace made a cracking sound, and Sam thought she might snap, too, from waiting to hear what Jack would say. He pulled back, looked into her misty eyes, and stated simply,

"I said 'I love you'."

Tears streamed unchecked, unnoticed, as she reeled from the impact of those words. He'd loved her, she'd loved him, and neither one of them had scraped up enough courage to take that first step toward the other. Carter resolved not to make that mistake again. She lifted her hand to touch his face, "I love _you_, Jack."

"_Sam_"

He kissed away her tears and smiled against her lips,

"I _really_ wanna take you fishin' Sam."

In between long, drugging kisses that made her formerly scientific brain devolve into something only capable of thinking scattered thoughts like, 'Wow' and 'yummy', Carter sighed, "I really want to _go_ fishing, Jack...right this minute." His rumbling chuckle made her smile. The hands stroking down her back and sliding around to her front made her breath catch. The knock on the front door made her jump. Hiding in the hallway out of sight, she heard Jack say,

"Hiya Mr. Wilson- something I can help you with?"

Her heart raced when the neighbor replied,

"Actually, O'Neill, I saw your lights when I let the cat out and came down to tell you some fella's been driving up and down the street, stopping in front of your house quite a lot in the last few hours. I took down the license number, phoned a nephew of mine, and he told me it belongs to a cop by the name of Peter Shanahan. Anyway, I just thought you should know this Shanahan's been watching your place. Good night."

"Thanks, Mr. Wilson...good night."

Thoughts racing, she stared at Jack, "He's been watching your house? Like some stalker?"

He lifted an eyebrow,

"Not the first time your detective's done that, is it?"

Smiling mirthlessly, she agreed, "No, it's not...and I'm not putting up with that kind of behavior anymore. I'm calling Pete in the morning. We're going to have brunch somewhere nice and public and I'm going to give back his ring and get him out of my life." Her lips turned up in genuine humor when Jack said 'Yes!' with the same enthusiasm their children had in her dream. Suddenly, she realized that 'their children' were a real possibility, not just a dream anymore. Sam had to blink away tears. She was _not_ going to turn into some overemotional woman crying over Hallmark Card commercials. The man looking concernedly at her misinterpreted her tears and offered,

"Do you want me to be there when you tell him? I could be covert, listen from a table across the room, sit behind a palm or something..."

Shaking her head, Sam reassured, "I'll be fine. Promise. I'll bring my cell phone and call the minute I leave, okay?"

"Okay"

The ride back to her home was quiet. She just leaned against O'Neill and drifted off into a dream. He was so warm, and felt so good; she never wanted to get out of bed. She reached out a hand and pulled at his pajama top, "Take that off and get back under the covers, mister."

"Sorry, Sam, I wish I could, but you gotta wake up now...we're at your house."

Blinking her eyes as the cab door opened and light filled the interior, Carter gave a nervous burst of laughter, "I can't see to quit dreaming about you, Jack."

Sliding an arm around her waist as they walked to her porch, he said roguishly,

"Don't ever stop."

Their kiss goodbye kept Samantha smiling as she locked the door, drifted down the hallway to her bedroom, and dreamily got ready for bed. The phone ringing woke her from a dreamless sleep. She answered; "Carter" It was Pete.

"Why didn't you answer the phone last night? I called twenty-seven times! Were you trying to punish me for going to the bachelor party?"

Pinching the bridge of her nose and exhaling slowly, Sam responded, "No, Pete, I just didn't want to talk to you then."

"But you want to talk to me now?"

The hopeful tone in his voice made her envision puppy-dog eyes brightening. Had she really _ever_ thought that was cute? In a grown man? Amazing. She agreed, "Yes, I want to talk to you. How about meeting me in town for brunch?" He offered to pick her up, but she demurred. She pretended she had a couple of errands to do. After making arrangements for time and place, the Colonel hung up the phone and wondered what to wear to an engagement breaking brunch. Looking into her closet, she picked the most nun-like outfit she could find. A light gray twin set with a dark gray skirt. Fluffing her hair with her fingers- she was really glad she'd let it grow a bit longer- Sam grinned impishly. She looked like Martha-Freaking-Stewart!

Looking down her nose at her reflection in the mirror, she imitated the woman's superior tone and declared, "Nothing says 'You're never going to see me naked again' like a Sister Mary-Margaret sweater set. Paired with no makeup, sensible shoes, and a firm, no-nonsense attitude, you have everything needed to make your Giving-Back-The-Ring Brunch a _stunning_ success." Ruining her lofty speech with an unladylike snicker, she went to dig those sensible shoes out of the closet.

"Uh, Sam, you look...really...nice."

Smiling politely at Pete's less than complimentary look and tone directed at her clothing, Sam restrained her urge to cross herself while saying, 'Bless You' and merely thanked him calmly instead. Whatever she'd envisioned feeling on the way over here- and she'd imagined everything from punching Pete in the face and sobs ofguilt to shouting 'Free at last'- the woman had never considered that she might feel...nothing. It was rathersurreal to be sitting across from someone she'd accepted a proposal from and feel as though she was looking at a stranger.

Quietly listening to Pete order a meal for him, coffee and fruit for her, Samantha had a revelation. She'd never _really_ known Peter Shanahan at all. He'd swept into her life, found out what she wanted, and given it to her. His enthusiasm and ardor convinced her that they would grow to know and love each other more over the years because she'd wanted to be persuaded. Lips curving as he began to tell her how tacky and awful the bachelor party had been and how drunk he'd got over his worry that she was mad at him, the Colonel shook her head.

She wasn't mad at him. He needed someone who equated obsession and stalking with love, or who was happy to settle for loving the one she was with, but that woman wasn't her. Playing with the food on her plate, Sam observed Pete eat his food with the enthusiasm and finesse of an eight year old and smiled inwardly. Cassie had been right. Desperation _was_ worse than perspiration and marrying someone you didn't love just because you wanted to be married and have a family stunk. She'd have to give her a call soon and let her foster daughter know that she was every bit as smart as she'd always claimed, but if she dared to say 'I told you so'...

"What's so funny, babe?"

"Nothing" Smiling when you were about to break up with someone had to be a Miss Manners no-no. Glancing from Pete's empty plate to his expectant face, she looked him in the eye and said, "Pete...I want you to know that I've thought about what I'm about to say for a long time, and it wasn't easy. I care about you so much. You're...just not the right person for me." Sliding the box holding the ring he hadn't noticed was missing from her finger across the table; she ended bluntly, "I can't marry you, Pete." He stared, disbelieving,

"Why not?"

Gently, but firmly she told the truth, "I don't love you, and you deserve someone who does."

"I don't care what I deserve. I want to marry you, Sam...we're good together...I've made you happy...I can't believe you're doing this!" His voice was raising and attracting attention. Shesaid urgently,

"I'm sorry, Pete...but even if you're willing to marry someone who doesn't love you, I'm _never_ going to marry someone I don't love. Please, try and understand. We've had problems for awhile now. You said yourself we haven't been...close...in months. There was a reason. It wasn't right. I wish you the best Pete, but I can't see you anymore." Standing, she turned and walked away. She heard him give the waitress some cash and follow her. Outside the restaurant, he grabbed her arm.

"There's someone else, isn't there? That's what the guys at work tell me...if your woman isn't having sex with you, she's sleeping with someone else...so who is it _Samantha_?"

Pulling out of his grasp with a look of warning, his ex-fiancée gritted, "I'm not sleeping with anyone, _Peter_, and I resent you saying that as much as I resent you following me around and laughing it off as an amusing _stalking incident_...it's not funny to _me_!" She practically marched down the sidewalk, the detective following after her.

"Excuse me for caring!"

Halting, the tall blonde swiveled and stared. _This_ was the man she'd thought would be her partner for better or for worse? This self-centered, spiteful little boy masquerading as an adult...? Giving him a steely look that had stopped Go'auld in their tracks, she retorted, "I excuse you...from the rest of my life...I don't want to waste one more minute on you, so by all means, excuse yourself, go away...and stay away."

"_What? _I don't understand what you're saying."

He understood alright. That pitiful puppy look didn't work on her anymore. Using simple phrases that would be easy to comprehend, Sam said coolly, "I don't love you. I don't want to marry you. I gave you back your ring. Stay out of my life." His broad face turned surly,

"What if I refuse to _stay out_ of your life? I can follow you night and day if I want. Try and prove I'm _stalking_ you."

She fought fire with fire, "What if I have you sent to a planet where men are slaves...and not in a good way? Remember my superwoman save the galaxy stuff? If you don't take no for an answer...you'll be trying and prove to the Venusians that you're a good slave who doesn't need gelding." The white-faced look of horror on her ex-fiancée's features almost made her smile. She was completely bluffing. The thought of Jack kept her icy cold though, and with a curt nod, she stalked away, posture and bitchy attitude both worthy of Martha's seal of approval. Yanking open the door to her Volvo, Sam dropped onto the seat and took long, deep, calming breaths. The phone rang. "Carter"

"You okay?"

Jack's voice always made her smile. Why hadn't she noticed that before? Maybe he'd been right in the diner when he'd said maybe they needed to come to this place in their lives before they could be together. She knew her voice conveyed her feelings, "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Good"

Lowering her voice, she said, "It's better than good, Jack. In fact, I think we need to meet somewhere and _talk_ some more, so I can show you what I mean...personally."

"Hmmm...I like the sound of that."

They agreed to meet at a nearby shopping center and go from there. The moment O'Neill's truck parked beside her, Carter jumped into the cab and threw herself into his arms. His appreciation of her public display of affection was thorough and thrilling. Eventually, whistling teenagers brought them back to reality. Reluctantly prying her arms from around his neck, Jack smiled tenderly and suggested,

"Why don't we take a drive, go somewhere nobody knows us and do something..."

"Like what?"

He paused, then said humorously, "Like go to the mall, watch a movie, take a walk, go to dinner...we've done the big things, Sam, saved the world and each other...let's do the little things." His brows waggled, "Tomorrow I'll call you into my office for a _conference_ and we can _discuss_ how to work things out. Until then, I want to be plain Jack O'Neill spending time with Samantha Carter."

She nodded, then smirked, "You'll never be _plain_ Jack." He grinned and shifted the truck into reverse.

* * *

A/N: Just saw threads episode. Raise your hand if you saw threads and thought the breakup was pathetic. LOL Very sad when you get misty eyed over fictional characters. Shall have to put more humor in next chap- lol. For everyone who wanted me to 'Get rid of Pete', how'd you like the scene? Breaking up is hard to do- when you're writing it instead of reading it! Review and let me know! 

**ChappaEyebrow- **Hope you liked the kissing part of this chap- lol- wonderful reviewers must be kept happy at all costs- yeah, that's why I wrote it...for you guys...teehee

**cherryblossomjen-** Glad you liked the elevator episode- was so tempted to have Sam hear Aerosmith's _Love in an Elevator_ on the way home, but decided she might wreck if she heard the lyrics! lol

**froggy0319-** If Pete was Sam's choice, ick would be right! Hope this chap's ending has you smiling too:-)

**Gactttaca-** Yay, someone besides me who's done the "Oh Sh!" loop in their mind! I'm glad you loved the family sequences- I don't think the Pete one would be too farfetched- heh.

**GateSeeker2- **All hail the queen of Jack/Sam shippers- to me, at least! lol You rock, and I hope 'the conversation' lived up to expectation!

**Holly Mariano- **Yay! Another Anti-Barbie Woman! Thanks for the props on the characterization- do you think it would be in Sam's character to have it out with Perfect Princess Bimbo Barbie? ; )

**Keith- **You mean there are more lakes and they rounded off for the motto? What's that- New Math? Hope you liked the rest of the chaps too- would be cool to get a guy's opinion of this one. hint, hint, heh

**Kelycia- **I'm glad you think the story's great- you made me LMAO with the 'crazy, terrible, evil cliffhanger'. What did you think about _this_ ending?

**O'NeillRoxMyWorld- **Love the name- says so much, so succintly- :D Hope you don't think the ending to this chap was 'mean'. They made me stop there! Blame Sam and Jack!

**SGI-Fanfic-** I'm glad you liked the line. I saw a picture of "Jack" in that exact outfit and went Yum, so I HAD to make him wear it, and then have Sam match...cause we all know they match in all sorts of other nice ways:P

**Sci Fi Fan Gillian- **Awesome reviewer, thanks for the encouragement: )


	6. Untangled Threads

Disclaimer: No rights to Stargate SG1, just permission to create a story about its characters. After the Threads episode aired, I inserted the thoughts about Jacob's death at the end of the chap. Inspiration to write the last chapter took awhile to strike. Special Thanks to _Gateseeker2_ for being a pal, and a fount of Stargate info. Her input was invaluable- even an offhand comment about hickies inspired, and every little detail that I wondered about, she knew. Maybe for everything else there's MasterCard, but the knowledge of who eats what color jello is priceless! Thanks also to _SG1-Fanfic_ for emailing me and prodding me get off my arse, go out into the literary storm with a key attached to a kite and get struck, already! Hope you find this chapter worth the wait!

* * *

Untangled Threads 

Awakening with a smile, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and lay in bed listening to _The Mamas and The Papas _sing 'Monday, Monday'. The last few days had changed her life. She felt like pinching herself to make sure this happiness wasn't a dream. It was still hard to believe that she'd broken her engagement to Pete and…finally…she and Jack were together. Capable fingers ran through short blonde hair while she debated whether or not to hit the snooze button. The words to the song made her hand pause above the alarm clock.

_'Monday, Monday...'_

Groaning, Sam turned off the music and pushed herself up and off the mattress. Somehow, lying in a warm, soft bed wasn't very tempting when she'd just be thinking 'Is that song some sign from above? What's going to happen today?' In the bathroom, bluish-grey eyes widened. Slender fingers rose to touch the pink splotch on her neck. She had a hickie! Staring in disbelief, the woman thought frantically, _I'm a mature, responsible adult! I didn't let boyfriends do that in high school, so why would I… _The memory of Jack's lips traveling down her neck, gently sucking in a way that made her fingers tighten in his hair made her do something she hadn't done since junior high- giggle madly. The leggy woman was still smiling after her shower, when she pulled a black turtleneck over her head. _Saved by the alternative uniform..._

Driving to work, the morning seemed almost too beautiful to be real. The mountains soared against a sky that was almost an otherworldly blue. She couldn't keep the grin off her face. Her good mood seemed to be infectious. The guards' smiles were bright, and inside Stargate Command, everyone the Colonel saw appeared to be in the best of moods. In her office, the outbox and inbox were _both_ empty. Impulsively, Carter pushed her chair away from her desk and gave it a spin. Getting a hold of herself, the blonde took a deep breath, turned on her computer, and began to open her email.

The morning passed swiftly. Projects were all ahead of schedule, the coffee was actually drinkable, and Jack called midmorning. She answered the phone with a smile in her voice,

"Carter"

"Colonel, please report to my office ASAP…"

"_Yes Sir!"_

Striding briskly toward the good General's office, Samantha's face glowed with anticipation. Before she could knock on Jack's door, it opened. She was waved inside. Leaning against the door, her dashing commanding officer's dark gaze rested on her turtleneck. His chiseled lips quirked,

"Interesting choice of uniform, Carter…any particular reason you're wearing it, or do you just know you look good in black?"

Taking a step forward, she pulled down the material and exposed the mark, "Trying to be discreet, O'Neill."

The roguish grin that had made her heart race for years flashed,

"Discretion is advisable outside this office, Sam…but inside…I prefer blatant."

His fingertip was tracing the love bite. She tried to keep a straight face, "Is that a direct order, sir?"

Lean features became intent,

"No. That was a request."

Joy made her slightly giddy. A quote from that movie Cassie had sent her, _Pirates of the Caribbean_ came to mind- with a slight alteration. Smoothing back his silvery hair, she smiled, "I am inclined to acquiesce to your request." Her lips brushed his before molding over his mouth in a kiss that took her breath away. Jack's embrace was against regulation, but she didn't care. Nothing mattered right now except the way his breath broke as her lips incited his to deepen the kiss.

Sam gave herself over to the love in her heart and the passion she felt in his arms. Constrained by time and place, she couldn't touch his skin the way she wanted to, so she made do with stroking his cheek. His skin had the slightest hint of roughness, like the finest sandpaper. Carter looked forward to letting her fingers experience every texture of his body. Masculine hands tightened on her hips, pulled her against him while his tongue moved in a sensual glide that scattered every thought except the need to get closer.

She felt the earth move, and then realized the push came from behind. Someone was trying to open the door. The General hadn't locked it. Springing apart, the couple quickly finger-combed tousled hair while Jack barked,

"Who's there?"

"Teal'c…May I enter?"

Swiftly opening the door, O'Neill arched an eyebrow,

"You could've entered before if you'd bothered to knock. I was leaning against the door while…talking…to the Colonel here…and your shove almost made me go for my gun."

Impassive features belied by the trace of curiosity in his voice, the larger man replied,

"You do not appear to be carrying a weapon."

The Cheshire Cat had nothing on Jack. Viewing the other man's expression, Teal'c blinked. A slight smile curved his lips. Inclining his head regally, he stated,

"I have been sent by a certain C.I.A agent to remind you that your presence…and that of Colonel Carter…is required at the meeting that will commence in ten minutes."

The disdain dripping from the otherwise expressionless words told Sam exactly who had dared to make this dignified man her errand boy. Kerry. Refusing to comment, because that would make O'Neill smirk even more, she said, "Fine. Let's go."

The conference room was full by the time they walked in. The General moved to a place at the head of the long, polished table while the Colonel looked for an available seat. Daniel waved her over. She would've been happier to sit by her friend if the person on her other side hadn't been a woman with a forehead that only needed a few ridges to make Klingon. Ms. Johnson smiled with saccharine sweetness after she sat down,

"So glad you could make it. I was becoming concerned…"

"About what?" Sure it was rude to interrupt, but Sam wasn't going to listen to Ms. Magnolia Blossom any more than she had to, "Did you think something had…happened…to us? Were you wondering what had…_detained_…the General and me? How sweet..." Crease lines of confusion made Carter change her mind. Johnson would make a better Romulan. At the end of the chamber, a talking head began droning on about the Stargate budget. Inwardly, the blonde groaned. Beside her, French manicured fingers tip tapped on the table. Slanting an irritated look toward the brunette whose legs were not displayed to advantage in her short skirt, Carter gritted softly, "Do you _mind?" _Ms. Johnson narrowed her eyes and whispered back,

"I mind you monopolizing Jack's time when you have a fiancée…" Suddenly, the woman broke off; eyes glued to a slender, ring less hand. Kerry demanded in a fierce undertone, "Where's your engagement ring?"

She imitated Jack's Cheshire Cat smile, "I'm not engaged anymore."

"_What!_"

Heads turned at the quiet shriek. Sam met Daniel's blue gaze. He grinned and gave her thumbs up. He inclined his head toward Jack and waggled his eyebrows. She nodded. He pumped a fist and silently mouthed,

"Yes!"

Across the table, Teal'c nodded in solemn approbation. Overwhelmed by her friends' approval, the Colonel sat and smiled through the presentation that had formerly been an endurance challenge. Once the meeting was over, Johnson evidently felt the need for holding back was too. She stood and snarled,

"So what were you doing in the General's office, Sa-_man_-tha? Crying on his shoulder over your broken romance?" Ignoring the curious looks thrown by the departing staff, the brunette ranted, "I _knew_ there was something going on at that horrible, inedible dinner party you subjected us to, but I hoped that you'd have the decency not to meddle in my and Jack's relationship."

Blonde eyebrows arched incredulously, "What relationship? Are you living in an alternate universe? Because in this one, O'Neill isn't interested in you anymore…"

Red-faced, veins in the enormous brow reminding Carter of an alien race that she couldn't remember the name of, Kerry screeched,

"_Why not_? Because he's interested in _you_? I should snatch your bleached head bald!"

Sam smirked in an uncanny, and infuriating, imitation of Jack, "Everything about me is natural, Johnson." Blue-grey eyes flickered to the other woman's chest, "Unlike _you_."

"AAAAHHHHH!"

The Colonel never would've guessed that the prissy bimbo had it in her to attack, so she was taken off guard. Propelled back onto the conference table with sharp nails digging into her neck, Carter was trying to decide whether to head butt the harpy or punch her in the face when the turtleneck was dragged down and the maddened woman frothed,

"I _knew it_! You've got a _hickie_! You've been sleeping with the General behind my back!"

Enough was enough. A quick blow to the nose accomplished two things. Johnson backed away, lifting her claws off Carter's neck, and the sight of blood gushing was almost as satisfying as the woman's howls of pain. Teal'c swiftly applied pressure and intoned,

"I will take Ms. Johnson to the infirmary. Indeed, her proboscis will swell immensely without immediate attention."

He stood like a statue for several minutes. Finally, Kerry whimpered,

"Why aren't we going?"

Daniel stifled a chuckle and gently steered the brunette toward the door,

"Let me take you. We can have a little chat about _karma_. Did you know…"

Behind her, an amused voice remarked,

"Have I ever told you that you're beautiful when you're angry, Colonel?"

She grinned, "You just did." Stepping close to the man who was worth fighting for, she said, "Requesting permission to kiss the sexiest CO on the planet, sir."

His lips granted her request. She threw her arms around Jack's neck and put the F in fraternization. Birds sang, bells chimed, and…an alarm clock went off?

**

* * *

**

Staring at the ceiling, Sam ruefully thought that, for once, she wouldn't mind if a dream came true. She'd love to punch Kerry in the nose almost as much as she wanted to make out with Jack in his office. If she had a dollar for every time she'd fantasized about pressing him back against his- cleared off- desk, or a wall without pictures, or into his chair so she could straddle his lap and kiss his brains out, she'd…well, she couldn't count that high. Rising, the blonde headed to the bathroom. Drying off after her shower, she glanced at her image in the mirror and did a double-take. Holy Hanna! She really _did_ have a hickie! Ruthlessly suppressing her reaction to a single giggle, the Air Force officer reached for a black turtleneck, smiling, _Thank heavens for alternative uniforms!_

The guard who checked her I.D. before she entered the tunnel that led to Stargate Command was as brisk and unsmiling as ever. That was a relief. If he'd given her a big smile and a cheerful wave…the resemblance to her dream would've been way too eerie. After she'd locked her Volvo and started toward her office, a voice halted her steps,

"Colonel Carter!"

Jay Felger was hurrying to catch up; his brown eyes alight with that gleam that made her wary. His smile made her remember the resolve not to encourage this man's admiration in any way, shape, or form. Imitating Teal'c…or Mr. Spock, she said calmly, "Yes?"

The civilian scientist tried to give her an appealing, little-boy grin. Unfortunately for him, she'd developed immunity to those kinds of smiles during her relationship with Pete. The polite inquiry on her face made his smile fade. Pouting slightly, Felger asked,

"So…er…how was your weekend?"

They were walking into the building that hid the lower levels from pesky satellite scans. Returning the guard's salute, she said in massive understatement, "Good". Remembering her manners, Sam returned, "And yours?"

Grinning widely, the scientist assured,

"It would've been better if I'd have been invited to a certain dinner party. I ran into Kerry…she asked me to call her Kerry…at the mall, of all places, and she told me how much she…and O'Neill…had enjoyed the evening…"

Stepping into the elevator and trying not to hyperventilate, Sam repeated faintly, "The mall?"

Chortling, Felger elaborated,

"Not really the mall, the electronics store across from it. I needed a new ink cartridge for my printer, and she was buying DVDs…she had interesting taste in movies…_Stepford Wives, Fatal Attraction, _and _Without a Paddle_…"

Relieved, Sam smiled when the elevator stopped at the scientist's level. Encouraged, Felger asked,

"Would you have lunch with me today?"

Thinking quickly, she shook her head with seeming regret, "Sorry, I already made plans with Daniel and Teal'c." He nodded sadly, stepped out, turned, and then grinned,

"You know, I think of you every time I'm in an elevator, now."

She jabbed the 'close doors' button. Shaking her head over the incorrigible man, the woman was grateful to reach her office without further incident. Her inbox was half full already. She got to work after making calls to Daniel and Teal'c to arrange meeting for lunch. Midmorning, the Colonel answered the phone,

"Carter"

"I'm meeting Hammond in an hour. I'll swing by the cafeteria and let you know how it went."

Hearing Jack's voice made her smile, even though the thought of his upcoming conversation with the Lt. General made her stomach clench. If the Oversight Committee wasn't having a budget meeting today that required Hammond's presence, the General would've been in DC Sunday night instead of visiting a lady friend in Denver and dining in the 'almost Texas-quality steakhouse' he'd recommended to Jack…that O'Neill had taken her to that very same night. Softly saying 'good luck', Sam ended the call and flashed back to last evening.

_She and Jack enjoyed spending time together. The idea to drive to Denver, blend in with the crowds and just be Sam and Jack for the day had been inspired. They'd taken a walk in a park, holding hands. Eating lunch in a family owned pizza joint, she'd challenged O'Neil to a game of air hockey, and even beaten him- once. The experience of being a normal couple, doing ordinary things was extraordinarily wonderful._

_They'd parked in an underground lot downtown and window shopped before they caught a movie at The Paramount Theater. Jack had convinced her to sit on the back row in the far corner so they could make out like teenagers. Afterwards, she'd laughed at seeing the seven-foot Martini glass on the façade of the restaurant next door to the theater. _

_Marlowe's had been highly recommended by Hammond. The dim, cozy atmosphere was romantic and the food was excellent. Over coffee, she and O'Neill had been debating whether or not to share a dessert when a woman's voice had jarred them out of their absorption with each other._

"_Georgie, do you know these people?"_

_Sam had looked up to see General Hammond, with an attractive older woman on his arm. He was looking stone-faced at them from beside the table. Her stomach had plummeted. It was almost as bad as that time Jacob had caught her and a boyfriend making out on the front porch when she was fifteen. Face rigid, the man had replied to his companion, _

"_No…I don't think I do."_

_Jack had immediately stood, called, _

"_General…"_

_Turning, Hammond had snapped, _

"_Lt. General to you, General…and I don't want to hear whatever it is you're thinking of saying right now. Be in the conference room at 11AM tomorrow morning." Nodding abruptly, the 'very nice, very bald man from Texas' swiftly exited the restaurant without another word…_

"Sam, are you alright?"

Shaking herself out of the memory that still made her cringe, Carter looked up to see Daniel lounging in the doorway. She smiled, "Of course. Ready for lunch…?" Avoiding the speculation in his blue gaze, she stood and said, "Let's go."

In the cafeteria, Teal'c was already waiting for them at a table. She and Daniel quickly chose their lunch selections and joined him. Staring at the jiggling squares his colleagues had chosen for dessert, the brown-haired scientist remarked,

"How can you guys _eat_ that stuff?" Frowning at the dark skinned man raising a brow in reaction to the outburst, Daniel pointed to the green jello in the dish and said, "You _do_ know that has no nutritive value whatsoever, don't you?"

Teal'c's deadpan gaze fell on the macaroni and cheese in front of Jackson,

"Gelatin improves the quality of hair and nails. However, I am unable to fathom how one who partakes of bovine lactose products qualifies to comment on the eating habits of others. It is very like throwing stones while inhabiting a house of glass."

Sam, after taking a bite of salad, kidded, "Hey Daniel, that doesn't taste like chicken, does it?"

He chuckled,

"Like those never forgotten MRE? Nope. Just tasty bovine lactose products."

Even Teal'c smiled at the cheerful reply. Carter asked the men about their latest mission. Food was consumed while conversation flowed. The Colonel began to notice the men exchanging strange glances. Teal'c would incline his head in her direction and frown slightly while Daniel widened his eyes, an intent look on his face. The silent communication reminded her of Cassie when she was younger. The girl and a friend would each wordlessly tell the other, 'You do it- no, you do it' when they both wanted money for ice cream and neither wanted to be the one to ask. Finally, blue eyes glared at his impervious friend and then turned to the woman smiling in amusement.

"So…uh…we…I was wondering…" Clearing his throat, Daniel stated bluntly, "You're not wearing an engagement ring."

Holding up her ring less left hand, Sam's lips curved, "That's because I'm no longer engaged."

Simultaneously, one exultantly, one with quiet satisfaction, the men said,

"_Yes_!"

Perhaps she should be offended by their enthusiasm, but since the Colonel felt the same way, her smile widened upon hearing Teal'c ask when 'the felicitous occurrence' had transpired,

"Sunday morning. I met Pete for brunch and gave back the ring."

Boyishly grinning, Daniel confessed,

"I'm glad to hear that. My _lactose intolerant_ friend here and I happened to run by the mall yesterday to return a shirt and…uh…we drove by Jack's truck…and saw you…er…_in it."_

A blush crept up Carter's chest and heated her cheeks. The guys both looked amused over her embarrassment. She almost threw blue jello at them. Only the arrival of a rangy, silver-haired, handsome man kept her fingers away from the jiggling mass. Her eyes went immediately to the dish in General O'Neill's hands. On the phone, before he said 'Wish me luck', Jack had told her,

"If I bring blue jello to the table, get ready for a court martial. If I bring red…then you know love conquered all."

She released a pent up breath. Heart pounding, eyes misting, Sam met gleaming dark eyes and said with a wobbly smile, "_I love red jello!'. _

Brown eyes were loving while blue looked suspicious,

"Since when, Carter?"

"Since right now."

"Jackson does not realize that red jello has a secret meaning to you, Colonel. I myself am unaware of what the gelatin represents, although I gather it stands for something of import."

Giving a snort of amusement after hearing Teal'c's pronouncement, O'Neill looked at her, a question in his eyes. She nodded, "I told them about breaking the engagement, and…they saw us in your truck…at the mall…"

Open-mouthed, Jack said flatly,

"You're kidding." Rolling his eyes over the shaking of heads, the General closed his eyes briefly, before saying, "Is there anyone on this base who _hasn't_ seen us together?"

"Sure, a couple of lab techs on level 18…just kidding…we're happy for you, Jack…Sam…"

Daniel's cheeky retort made the General's mouth twist ruefully.

"So was Hammond, once he took a strip off my hide for acting like a 'cowboy at his first rodeo' and 'jumping into a mission without a plan or backup'."

She was almost afraid to ask, "Do you have a plan?"

Little-boy grins didn't make her melt, but roguish ones did. Giving Sam a look that made her long for them to be alone in his office, or anywhere private, Jack nodded,

"Yep…"

The silence stretched out while the three watched the General eat his jello with evident enjoyment. Blue-grey eyes smiled into mischievous brown that could change her mind about Little-boy grins, if Jack was the one grinning that way. Pragmatically, she realized that O'Neill would share his 'plan' when he felt the time was right. The relief she felt that they wouldn't be facing a court martial gave her a patience that Daniel didn't share.

"So…_Jack_…are you ever going to let us in on this _plan_ of yours…?"

Standing, the General said before turning to leave,

"Sure"

"_What kind of answer is that?"_

Grinning at the other man's irritation, O'Neill replied,

"The only one you're getting until the meeting this afternoon."

Whistling the catchy tune she'd hummed in the elevator once upon a time, Jack sauntered off. The three left behind looked at each other. Samantha stood and told the other two, "See you at the meeting."

"_Great… _I was planning on developing some alien virus and giving the budget snore-a-thon a miss, but now I _have_ to go to find out about the _plan_!"

Commiserating, the blonde patted Jackson on the shoulder and smiled at both men before turning away. If she concentrated hard enough on work, the minutes until the meeting might not drag so much.

That afternoon, Carter arrived early enough to ensure that she sat between Daniel and Teal'c, on the opposite side of the table from Ms. Kerry Johnson. Inadvertently, her gaze traveled from the woman's short, tight, pink two-piece suit to the forehead that hadn't been exaggerated in her dream _at all_. Glancing away, Sam's eyes met Teal'c's. He bent down and said in a low tone that carried a trace of amusement,

"In the war for O'Neill, your enemy is without weapons."

She had to cough to cover her inadvertent laugh. Daniel asked,

"Are you okay? Do you want me to go get you some water?"

Pressing her lips together for a moment, the Colonel took a deep breath, exhaled, and then said as levelly as possible, "Sorry. Something just…stuck in my craw…" Beside her, the man who combined 'tall, dark, and handsome' with 'strong and silent' started making quiet huffing sounds. Jackson stared,

"He's laughing his ass off!" He whispered accusingly, "Were you talking about me? Did he tell you that I've got a date with a woman I met in a LOTR chat room?" Defensively, he informed, "It's not _just_ because she looks like Eowyn…she speaks elvish _too_!" The rumbling noise Teal'c was making became louder. Sam coughed until a water bottle was placed in front of her. Turning to thank whomever had made that kind gesture, the smile on her face froze when she met General Hammond's eyes. He gave her a small smile and returned to his place at the head of the conference table. Drinking the water, Carter felt the tight feeling that had gripped her every time she remembered the pained disappointment in the eyes of the man she admired finally ease.

The meeting started. Pretending to take notes, the blonde covertly watched a distinguished General cross and uncross his arms,drum his fingers on the table, and nod in all the correct places while folding a sheet of paper into an origami fish. She wondered if Jack could do the monkey riding a dragon. Cassie had complained in her last letter that the figure was one she couldn't master. After the last suit had given their spiel, Ms. Johnson chirped,

"General O'Neill, if you need further explanation, I'll be more than happy to provide any support necessary."

The urge to make that strike to the nose a reality caused Carter's hands to ball into fists. Down the table, Jack replied dryly,

"Thanks for the offer, Ms. Johnson, I'll tell my staff to contact you if they require anything." Looking around the conference room, the General stated quietly, "I will no longer be involved. I have resigned my commission in the United States Air Force."

General Hammond stood up and assured the staff that he would personally oversee the upcoming Change of Command. The transition to new leadership would be smooth and missions would proceed as planned. He made some joke about O'Neill retiring more times than a man had a right to, and warmly gave his approval to Jack's future role with the Stargate Program as a civilian. The room was quiet. Military and civilian personnel alike were shocked at the announcement none had foreseen…except one. The moment the dashing General had mentioned a 'plan' in the cafeteria, Carter had thought back to him saying,

_I retired twice before I got this gig, Sam...why the hell would you think I'd hesitate to do it a third time?"_

The room slowly emptied. Daniel reached over and gave her a hug that endangered her ribs. It felt great. A voice dripping saccharin coated venom simpered,

"I wondered why you weren't wearing your engagement ring, Sa-_man-_tha…"

Was Ms I-Wear-Pink-High-Heels implying that she and Daniel…that they were a couple? Talk about wishful thinking. Smiling at her bemused friend, Sam stood and said, "Have fun on your date with Eowyn." He grinned and left with Teal'c. The moment the men walked out the door, Johnson demanded,

"Why aren't you wearing the ring?"

Coolly, the Colonel replied, "It's none of your business, but I'm no longer engaged."

Beneath her tanning bed bronze, Kerry's face paled. Her eyes darted around to make sure no one could overhear before sneering,

"Finally woke up in those tangled sheets with the General, is that it?"

This…woman…was almost amusing…_now_… A corner of her mouth turned up, "Ms. Johnson, may I remind you that Air Force Regulations clearly state…"

"- the Air Force!"

The few that remained in the chamber gaped at the outburst. Sam couldn't resist,

"Sorry, the _Air Force_ has higher standards."

Speechless, Kerry left in a manner Klingons _and_ Romulans would decry as spineless. Whimsically, Carter thought, _that woman's a disgrace to her forehead_. Generals Hammond and O'Neill moved toward her. The Lt. General smiled,

"Back when he was an insubordinate Colonel, I used to think O'Neill would show up in my office saying what he said today after almost every mission. About time he got his priorities straight." Uncomfortable with the emotional nature of the conversation, Hammond nodded and said briskly, "Tomorrow night, 1900, your place, O'Neill…I'll stop by a bakery and bring dessert."

After she and Jack became the only people in the conference room, Sam moved into his arms and hugged the man tight. Wonderingly, she said, "I'd guessed, and hoped…but…are you sure resigning is really what you want?" The O'Neill charming, smart-aleck grin flashed,

"Come over for dinner tonight, and I'll tell you all about it."

Puzzled, she asked, "I thought you were having Hammond over _tomorrow_ night?"

He winked,

"_We_ are having Hammond, Teal'c, and Jackson over tomorrow night for a BBQ, but tonight…it's just you and me."

That sounded so good. Carter wished that she had the nerve to kiss him like she had in her dream, but knew her inhibitions were too strong to break…for now. After Jack became a civilian, watch out. Sensing her unease about displaying affection, the rogue brushed his lips across hers and smirked,

"Hold that thought. I want to take you up on it…_later_…"

Coming to attention and snapping off a salute, she said more earnestly than a new Airman, "_Yes Sir_!"

Driving home at the end of the day, every song on the radio made the Colonel smile- even the sad ones. The neighbors' kids waved to her when she passed by. The thought that in a few years, _her children_ would be waving at neighbors while they played with her and Jack on the lawn or rode their tricycles on the driveway made tears spring to her eyes. Happy tears. They dried the instant she pulled into the drive, headed for the house, and heard behind her,

"Sam"

Stepping onto the porch, she turned and faced the man who stood watching her,

"Pete"

Detective Shanahan didn't appear to have slept, shaved or bathed since their brunch yesterday. Keeping her face impassive, Carter inwardly marveled that, but for the grace of God, she'd have _married_ this man. She glanced briefly toward the sky. _Whatever angel's watching over me…Thank you very, very much!_

"I want to talk to you, Sam."

Short blonde hair shook, "There's nothing to talk about."

Face twisted in anger, Pete strode forward. He took what looked like an envelope of photographs out of his windbreaker pocket and tossed pictures, one by one, toward where she stood on the porch.

"I disagree. I want to talk about _this_…and _this…_and _these…!"_

Bending, she scooped up a few photographs. They were of her and Jack. In his truck, kissing. Walking in the Denver park, stopped outside a downtown store and looking in the window, laughing. Warily, Sam asked, "What's there to talk about? I gave back your ring, Peter. Why did you follow me?"

Taking a step closer, the stale smell of beer exuded from Shanahan's skin, causing her to take a step away from the stench. Surreptitiously, she began to eye every object on the porch for a makeshift weapon. Petulantly, the man began to rant,

"I _followed you_ because I was concerned about you, Samantha. I couldn't believe you would break up with me and then go to the mall! When I saw you get into O'Neill's truck, though, everything that hadn't added up suddenly did. You're just like all the women I've ever known. Lying, cheating…"

Refusing to flinch at the names he called her or to defend herself in any way, the blonde said firmly, "I never cheated on you, but if you don't believe me, I don't care. You stalked me…_again_…and totally ruined whatever trace of good feelings I had for you." Ruing the fact that she'd left the cell phone in the car, Sam ordered, "Leave…and I don't ever want to see you again. If you even try to _speak_ to me, much less stalk me, I will report you to your superiors."

Sneering while he climbed onto the porch and lurched toward her, Pete said nastily,

"How about I report _you_ fraternizing with a senior officer, _Colonel_…!"

Expressionless, she countered, "Go ahead. O'Neill's resigned his commission. Those pictures won't hurt me."

Her former fiancée moved so swiftly, Sam was backed against the front door with Pete's forearm pressing her neck painfully, before she could react. Up close, the bloated, snarling face was almost unrecognizable as belonging to the man who'd once sworn to be the best husband ever.

"Nobody makes a fool of me, not even a hotshot Colonel who thinks she's superwoman." Blood shot eyes dark with rage, he promised, "I'm going to teach you a lesson."

His mouth bruised hers in a travesty of a kiss. Carter immediately stepped on his instep, and when his hold on her neck relaxed, reached down and twisted his 'Shanahan family jewels' in a way that made her attacker bend over in pain. Released from his grasp, the woman pulled his face up by one hand's grip in oily brown hair, and used the heel of her other palm to break his nose. Once he fell to the floor in agony, she calmly pulled _his_ cell phone out of his jacket and called the police. Sparing a single glance and comment to the huddled, crying figure on the ground, she ground out, "I could've killed you, Pete...Don't make me regret sparing you."

Several cop cars pulled up in front of the house. Two policemen sprinted across the lawn. It was the pair from the diner. 'Jim' looked at his prostrate fellow officer. His lips curved. He asked her to explain the situation while his partner picked up the scattered photographs with gloved hands and put the 'evidence' into clear, sealed bags. She succinctly recounted how Pete had stalked, threatened, and finally assaulted her person. After Sam explained the actions she'd taken in self-defense, an ambulance arrived. The Paramedics quickly stabilized and transported their patient away. Calling back to the other cops, Jim relayed that he'd finish taking her statement. Almost reluctantly, the black and whites pulled away from the scene. The two that remained came in, filled out paperwork, and assured her that charges would be pressed. On the way out the door once they'd finished, Jim said casually,

"I remembered you the minute the door closed in the diner."

Her eyes widened. The shorter officer griped,

"I should learn, but no- I have to keep betting. I owe this guy _a whole pie_ now."

She smiled faintly. How odd that after all the drama, she still kept her sense of humor, "Why?"

A grin split the tall man's face,

"I bet that you'd kick Shanahan's ass when he pulled what he did to his ex-wife on you, Colonel Carter."

What could she say to that? "Thanks"

Tipping his hat, Jim replied,

"No Ma'am. Thank _you_."

Sam waved the policemen on their way and headed for the shower. A civilian in a normal 9-5 job might've been shattered by what she'd experienced, but the Colonel felt like she'd completed a mission and couldn't wait to get home…to Jack. Driving up to his house felt so strange. She'd done it in her dreams, and now she was doing it in reality. Mr. Wilson looked up from his yard work and waved. She smiled and returned it. Several elementary school aged boys rode bikes past the house right after she pulled into the drive. One stopped and yelled,

"Hey lady, you got any kids that play street hockey?"

She laughed, "Not yet!"

O'Neill shouted for her to come in when she knocked. She found him in the kitchen using an electric mixer. Curious, she picked up a small, slender box and read _European Chocolate Mousse mix- Dark Chocolate. _Looking up after he'd spooned the dessert into bowls, Jack said wryly,

"I'd hoped to get everything done and cleared away before you came in order to impress you, Carter."

Sliding her arms around his waist, she smiled, "I'm impressed, O'Neill." He kissed her with a tenderness that made those darn tears well up again. Noticing how swollen her lips were, the General pulled back, and asked with loving concern that made her have to wipe her eyes,

"Sam, what happened?"

The whole sordid tale came tumbling out. Blinking rapidly and sniffing, she kept tears at bay. Running agitated fingers through his silver hair, Jack said,

"I was afraid that Shanahan would do something, pull something…I should've been there!"

She shook her head, "No, Jack. I needed to deal with Pete once and for all and in case you weren't paying attention- I made sure he's never going to bother me…or us…again."

His eyes were giving her the look that was her second favorite in the world. Her favorite look was love, but after that, the gaze that let her know he admired her abilities and acknowledged that she was every bit as capable as a man, and sometimes more, made her feel warm inside. Moving back into his arms, Sam closed her eyes and rested her head against O'Neill's shoulder. They stood together until the oven timer buzzed. Pulling a pan of lasagna out of the oven, the lean, rugged features creased in a boyish look of pride,

"I finally got around to using that recipe Janet gave me." Pointing to the card sitting on the counter, Jack smiled, "Take a look at the back."

Picking up the card with the recipe written in Janet's neat hand, Sam turned the sauce smudged rectangle over and stared down at the note on the back. Under the recipe instructions, their friend had penned,

_Crossing my fingers that you'll make this one day for a blonde who plays a Major role in your life! J_

Smoothing a finger over the writing, she swallowed around the lump in her throat and smiled shakily, "I guess our feelings weren't hidden as well as we thought they were."

"Nope"

He reached out and held her hand with his,

"There's something else I wanted you to see."

She followed Jack down the hall to his room. Any other man, at any other time, she would've told to go retrieve whatever it was because she wasn't falling for one of the oldest tricks in the books. This man she trusted with her heart, her life, and would gladly follow wherever he led- on this planet or any other. The bedroom was dark, masculine, and tidy as a cadet's at the Academy. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sam's heart thudded when she saw the cigar box. She'd seen it before, but this was different. Jack was actually _showing_ her his box of…

Memories. It was a box filled with reminders of the important things in O'Neill's life. A wedding band and pictures…of Jack in paratrooper gear…a family picture of Jack, Sara, and Charlie…cute photos of Charlie as a baby, and Charlie in Little League. Reverently touching the picture of his son in a baseball uniform, O'Neill said quietly,

"I regret not being there for Charlie…the way I wanted to be…" Meeting her sympathetic gaze, he asked, "Guess how many of my son's games I actually saw?" Seeing her shake her head, his lips curved, but it wasn't in amusement, "I can count them on one hand." His eyes were dark, serious, "This is the second reason why I don't regret resigning my commission, Sam." Looking away, and then back, Jack admitted, "I want to be there for my kids…_our kids…"_

_Breathe…just breathe…_ Sam repeated, "Our kids?"

Cradling her face in his palms, O'Neill's mouth closed over hers. He whispered, "Don't you want to have children?"

She nodded, misty eyed and uncaring, "_Our children…_alittle girl named Grace, and at least one boy who'll look exactly like you…"

Pulled to her feet, Carter laughed when he tugged her out of the room and up to the roof. The stars glittered against the black velvet sky and several white votive candles in…mason jars…cast a soft light around the space. Beside the telescope, a table with two flutes and a bucket holding a bottle of champagne stood ready. Ruefully, O'Neill admitted,

"I'd planned on bringing you up here _after_ dinner, but I've had enough of waiting." Reaching behind the bucket, Jack lifted a small jewelers' box and opened it to reveal a platinum and diamond ring. Sam pressed her lips together to keep from crying when he went down on one knee and said,

"Samantha, I love you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

He wasn't in a tux, she wasn't in a beautiful dress, and it didn't matter. He loved her, wanted to marry her, and had even resigned his commission in order to be with her, be a real father to their children. Her smile was tremulous and tender,

"I love you Jack. Yes, I'll marry you."

The ring he slid on her finger was one she vowed never to take off. O'Neill rose and kissed the tears from her eyelashes, pressed butterfly kisses across her face. When he reached her mouth, the kiss was passionate and sweet. He whispered her name and stepped back. Crouching down and pressing the play button on the portable stereo place under the table, Jack's smile was almost bashful,

"I…uh…asked the clerk at the music store what song would be good for an old guy finally getting around to popping the question and she suggested Vanessa Williams." The music began to play. Brown eyes smiled, "May I have this dance?"

Sam slid her arms around her fiancée's neck in answer. What a wonderful world it was now that she was marrying the right man, the man she loved. Smiling, they swayed together. Her mouth lifted to his, shifting to meet his lips, and tongue in a kiss that was slow, deep, and sensual. The song, _Save the Best for Last, _and the moment were perfect...

**

* * *

**

Minnesota in June was beautiful. The lake shimmered in the sunlight, and the sky was incredibly blue. Sam smiled. When she'd suggested having an intimate wedding in the secluded spot Jack loved more than any other, her fiancée had raised a brow and asked if she was feeling okay. After being reassured that she hadn't picked up a brain altering parasite from the backwater planet her team had visited last mission, the retired General loved the idea. A spa resort less than an hour away would keep their guests out of his hair.

Of course, George, Mark, Teal'C, and Daniel all had to sleep over the night before the wedding since the bachelor party had consisted of consuming multiple bottles of Guinness while attempting to fish. Cassie, who was staying at the cabin with them, had giggled while helping Sam push the inebriated and exuberantly friendly Dr. Jackson onto a sofa to sleep.

The college girl had teased when Daniel pulled his shirt off to get 'comfy',

"Whoa, you been workin' it, Dr. J…abs of steel…how'd you like a sweet young thing for a girlfriend?"

Grinning, the drunken scientist had replied,

"Tempting, but my Shield Maiden of Rohan arrives tomorrow and she'd go after my sword with her sword, if you take my meaning. Did you know that in Elvish, there are three words for…"

Laughing out loud at the memory, Sam turned when Cassie asked from the doorway,

"Are you having some kind of bridal jitters?"

The young woman crossed the room and looked out the window at the view of a white tent. _Modern Bride_ had stated that outdoor weddings _must_ prepare for all weather conditions, so they'd ended up paying a rental company a small fortune to haul one, along with serving tables, and a large round table with a dozen chairs to go in it out to the lake. Since she was only getting married once, the Colonel found a caterer willing to travel if the price was right and engaged her services. A suppressed snort from Cassie made Sam demand, "Are you laughing at my wedding cake?" They watched the workers in the distance carefully carrying it into the tent. The brunette denied,

"Of course not…I'm sure that one day it'll be the rage to have a miniature Gate on top of wedding cakes. The little bride and groom figures in camouflage really add that certain something, too."

Mock-frowning, Sam protested, "Is this the thanks I get for choosing a stylish Maid of Honor gown?" The Victorian Blue chiffon dress with an asymmetrical hemline and spaghetti straps looked lovely against Cassie's dark hair. Fingering the five-stranded moonstone and freshwater pearl bracelet Carter had given her foster-daughter and friend, she said,

"I wish mom could see you get married…you're beautiful, Sam."

Smiling her thanks, the tall blonde gazed at her reflection in the full length mirror and _felt_ beautiful. The white net over satin strapless gown had a re-embroidered Alencon lace bodice, and full skirt. Wearing it made her feel like a bride out of a fairytale. The matching lace veil was held by a pearl comb and flowed down her back. It looked like the one her mother had worn in her wedding picture. Thinking of her mother brought Jacob to mind. The loss of her father was something that was only now beginning to heal. He'd wanted her to be happy and she was. A knock on the door sounded. Cassie rushed over. Hammond stuck his head in the door,

"There's a groom under an arch by the lake who looks like he might go fishing if you don't get out there soon."

Hugging the General, Sam returned his smile mistilyand turned to Cassie, "All set?"

Rolling her eyes, the girl protested when she picked up a basket filled with rose petals,

"Whoever heard of the Maid of Honor having to do double duty as the flower girl?"

Reaching the door, she turned and grinned,

"Hey, if you need me to play 'Here Comes The Bride' on my harmonica while I walk and throw petals, just let me know."

"No thanks, I think the string quartet will handle the music just fine."

Smiling widely, Cassie led the way out of the cabin, across the back porch, and down the steps to what O'Neill had dubbed 'The white carpet'. Music swelled. The people she cared about most in this world or any other stood waiting for her. Ahead, Cassie threw rose petals into the air with delight not seen in girls one third her age. Hugging George's arm tightly, Samantha saw Jack's gaze leave the priest and focus on where she made her way up the fabric 'aisle'. His face lit up, and an answering smile spread across her face.

Stepping away from Hammond, Sam held Jack's hands and repeated vows that would unite their lives the way they'd united their hearts. For an instant after the Father pronounced the couple man and wife, an image of the future flashed into Carter's mind. She saw twin boys and a girl who taught their parents the true meaning of grace completing the family created here today. A tear of joy trickled down her cheek. It was joined by others as Jack's lips brushed hers, even before the priest pronounced,

"_You may kiss the bride."_

* * *

A/N :sniff: I love happy endings:sniff, sniff: 

I want to thank everyone who has (or will!) read this story for letting me share it with you and give special thanks to each reviewer. It's a lot easier to read and go on to another fic than it is to take the time to share what you liked, or what made you laugh. This writer is deeply grateful for the encouragement you gave (and hopefully will give again! lol). **archangewoman**: **ChappaEyebrow**: **Cherryblossomjen**: **csl**: **froggy0319**: **galaxy**: **GateSeeker2**: **Holly Mariano**: **I lovesg1**: **Jennifer Carter**: **Keith**: **Kelycia**: **Kiwi4624**: **Lunar**: **Miran Anders**:** mishy-mo**: **Nehebkau**: **O'NeillRoxMyWorld**: **pain in the mikta**: **ROTCmermaid**: **Sci Fi Fan Gillian**: **SGI-Fanfic**: **shetlandlace**: **Shroedinger**: You make writing fun!


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